LINCOLN, Neb. – This evening, according to multiple media reports, the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee voted to advance two bills out of committee that are opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska: LB 626, which would ban abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy, and LB 574, which would ban medical professionals from providing certain gender-affirming care for Nebraskans under 19 years old.
The move comes after the bills’ hearings drew hundreds of Nebraskans to the Capitol in opposition. At both hearings, many Nebraskans waited in line for hours to testify only to be denied the opportunity after the committee cut off testimony.
Scout Richters, ACLU of Nebraska senior legal and policy counsel, made this statement on LB 626:
“Banning abortion at six weeks, before many people who will need abortion care even know they are pregnant, is extreme,” Richters said. “All we have to do is look to other states to see the serious, life-altering consequences of these bans. It is beyond disappointing to see committee members disregard their constituents and medical consensus by advancing this legislation. The stark reality is that this ban could be state law as early as this spring unless enough state senators listen to the majority of Nebraskans and keep abortion legal. Now is the time to speak out and remind our lawmakers that politicians have no place in these private medical decisions.”
Jane Seu, ACLU of Nebraska legal and policy counsel, made this statement on LB 574:
“It is hard to overstate the danger of this bill and just how far it intrudes into families’ personal lives,” Seu said. “Decisions about medical care for trans youth belong to parents, youth and trusted medical professionals who are making decisions based on science. Politicians shouldn’t come into the equation. This bill ignores the recommendations of major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. It jeopardizes adolescents’ health and well-being by cutting off access to life-saving care. And it violates families’ constitutional right to access health care free from discrimination. We will continue to do all we can to stop it.”
