ACLU Nebraska Legal Program - Reproductive Freedom
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other legal program areas.
A minor has a right to ask a judge for an abortion.
The process is called a "judicial bypass," and it is only granted to
young women who can prove to the court that they are emotionally
mature enough to make this decision and that there are serious
reason why they cannot tell their parents to get parental permission
for the abortion. Nebraska state law explicitly requires every
courthouse to put the judicial bypass forms out where they can be
easily found, without making an embarrassed teenager have to ask for
help from anyone. ACLU Nebraska surveyed Nebraska courthouses
in the summer of 2005 and found only 1 county was obeying the law.
The rest simply did not have the forms on display...making yet
another obstacle to young women's ability to exercise their
reproductive right to choose. ACLU intervention resulted in a
letter going to every Clerk of the Court across the state, and our
survey indicates the law is being followed now. Top
What information are we giving teens about preventing disease
and pregnancy?
In Nebraska, most high school students receive some form of sex
education in school. Unfortunately, it appears many schools
are only providing biased, unhelpful information to the teens in
their care. There are some programs that only teach abstinence
as the solution, leaving out valuable information about the need to
be educated about and protected from disease and unwanted pregnancy
by offering information about other birth control methods.
Nationwide studies have shown "abstinence only" programs simply
don't work. In 2005, we began surveying Nebraska high schools
to learn what programs are being taught to our state's children. The
survey also provided educational information for school
superintendents about the failures of "abstinence only" programming.
The survey is being done in cooperation with the Pro-Choice
Coalition of Nebraska with our partner, Planned Parenthood.
Top
Can an employer give male workers Viagra prescription coverage
but deny female workers birth control? A federal judge
says no, it's gender discrimination. Nationwide employer Union
Pacific has its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Women
employees of UP filed a class action lawsuit claiming the company's
policy of allowing men expansive health coverage (including Viagra
and medication for male pattern baldness) was unfair since the same
health coverage excluded any birth control prescription for women.
The company wouldn't even pay for birth control when it was
medically necessary for the woman's health! In July, 2005, the
federal court ruled in the women's favor. ACLU Nebraska joined
an amicus curiae brief ("friend of the court brief") urging the
court to find in favor of the employees. In March, 2007 a 3
judge panel of the 8th Circuit reversed the trial court's opinion,
finding no gender discrimination. The case is still
open as the women employees seek rehearing from the entire 8th
Circuit. Top
