Pros, Cons of Banning or Restricting Abortion Aired in Marathon Hearing
Abortion opponents and supporters of reproductive rights filled a State Capitol hearing room last week to voice often emotional opinions about three bills that would either ban or further restrict abortion rights.
The proposals come as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that allowed pregnant women the right to choose whether to end or continue a pregnancy.
In reaction, dozens of proposals have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, including in Nebraska, to prepare for the possibility that states will again get to determine whether to permit abortion or not.
Three bills have been introduced in Nebraska:
• Legislative Bill 933, the Nebraska Human Life Protection Act. The legislation would ban abortion in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned, enabling legislation is passed by Congress, or if the U.S. Constitution is amended.
The so-called “trigger” bill was introduced by state Sens. Joni Albrecht of Thurston and Mike Flood of Norfolk. It was picked by the Speaker of the Legislature, Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers, as his priority bill. Fifteen other senators have signed on as co-sponsors of LB 933.
“We’re here for the voiceless, we truly are,” Albrecht said, pointing out that there have been about 200,000 abortions in Nebraska since the Roe ruling.
Opponents said LB 933 would force many women either to obtain expensive abortions out of state or bear children they may not be emotionally or financially able to care for.
“Nebraskans should be able to make their own decisions about what’s best for them. This is not a place for government,” said Nyomi Thompson of the Omaha-based group I Be Black Girl.
LB 781, the Heartbeat Bill. Introduced by Sterling Sen. Julie Slama, it has 22 cosponsors. It has not been prioritized, which means it may not be debated this year.
• LB 781 would block an abortion if a fetal heartbeat could be detected by an ultrasound, which Slama said begins six weeks after conception.
A doctor who provided an abortion in violation of LB 781 would be guilty of a felony. That is unlike the Texas “heartbeat” law, which allows citizens to file civil lawsuits against violators.
Slama distributed pictures of an adult’s heart and that of a fetus at 33 days after contraception, saying the fetal heart was “very much the heart of a person.”
Opponents argued that a fetal heart is not fully developed by the sixth week, and the sounds detected are not a true heartbeat. Many women, critics said, are not aware that they are pregnant by the sixth week.
• LB 1086, the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act. It was introduced by Lincoln Sen. Suzanne Geist and five cosponsors. Kearney Sen. John Lowe has made it his priority bill.
The bill would ban the mailing of chemical abortion pills, which account for 70% of the abortions in the state, according to Geist.
LB 1086 would ban the use of so-called “medical” abortions after seven weeks of pregnancy, the point at which Geist said that complications increase and require a doctor visit before they could be dispensed.
Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows medical abortions in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Dr. Deborah Turner of Planned Parenthood said so-called medical abortions are “incredibly safe and already over-regulated.” She said they provide a private and less invasive end to a pregnancy than a surgical procedure.
The Judiciary Committee heard several tearful stories from women about their experiences with abortion, both the trauma of ending a pregnancy, and, among supporters of reproductive rights, the relief of postponing raising a family. Religion was cited as a reason to ban abortion, as well as to retain abortion rights.
The committee took no action on the three bills after a hearing that continued into the evening. Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, the chairman of the committee, said he would confer with sponsors of the two prioritized bills about whether they want to seek a committee vote.
This story was originally published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Find more at nebraskaexaminer.com.
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