Take Action to Protect Abortion Access in Nebraska

Last legislative session, we saw three abortion bans get introduced and fail due to the dedicated work of Nebraskans across the state and our champions in the legislature. Anti-abortion politicians are once again attempting to ban abortion with an extreme six-week abortion ban, LB 626. Here are six things to know about the bill.

What Happens Next  

LB 626 had a committee hearing before the Health and Human Services Committee on Feb. 1. Opponents (that's us) vastly outnumbered its supporters. A majority of the HHS Committee chose to ignore experts and disregard Nebraskans' rights. They advanced the ban. Sen. Albrecht then prioritized it, meaning it will be debated in the near future. It will need to make it through three rounds of votes to be passed into law. Our best chance of stopping this cruel ban is to convince 17 state senators to filibuster this bill by refusing to invoke cloture, a technical term that means ending debate. Use the action links on this page now and visit NebraskansforAbortionAccess.com for more opportunities to get involved through the 2023 session.

Before you copy and paste a message you've seen on social media, remember that form emails don’t have as much power as your voice. If you need some ideas or talking points, here are some suggestions:

• Start by introducing yourself with details such as where you live, how long you’ve lived in Nebraska, and if you are a constituent of the senator you are writing to. It’s also a good idea to highlight any personal connections you have to the senator. Did you vote for them? Do you have other business or family connections to them? 
• Explain what abortion access/reproductive rights mean to you, your loved ones, your neighbors, or your community. The National Women's Law Center offers recommendations for giving voice to your values.
• Explain how people are harmed without access to abortion care. This Harvard Q&A is an excellent reference.
• Explain who is most affected by abortion bans.
• Remind them that abortion is health care. We can't put it any better than the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
• Explain that abortion decisions should be made by individual Nebraskans, not elected leaders.
• Express gratitude if the senator has voted to protect abortion access in the past and urge them to continue protecting access.
• If the senator previously voted in support of abortion bans, ask them to reconsider their position. We have a few recommendations for contacting elected officials.
• End with a strong statement about why this issue is important to you, your family, or Nebraskans in general.

With only three clinic locations in the state, with the farthest west being in Lincoln, access to abortion care is already difficult if not impossible for many Nebraskans. The providers are:

• Planned Parenthood, Lincoln
• Planned Parenthood, Omaha
• CARE, Bellevue

If you are in need of monetary support to pay for your abortion and related expenses, Nebraska Abortion Resources (NEAR) provides financial assistance and may be able to help. 

Although abortion is legal in Nebraska, there are many restrictions on abortion care that have been designed by anti-abortion politicians to push care farther and farther out of reach for more Nebraskans. In Nebraska:

• No abortions may be performed 20 or more weeks postfertilization (22 weeks from the last menstrual period) unless in cases of life endangerment or risk of significant bodily harm.
• Telemedicine cannot be used to administer medication abortion.
• Nebraskans 17 and under must get consent from a guardian before an abortion or must go through the judicial bypass process to get permission from a court to have an abortion without parental consent.  More information about judicial bypass is available here.
• Patients must receive state-directed counseling (usually a prerecorded message will be played, or a sheet will be read to the patient) and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided.

• A common second-trimester abortion method is banned.

We will continue to update this page as more information and resources continue to be made available. 

Recently, we partnered with five Nebraska advocacy organizations to launch a new website, NebraskansforAbortionAccess.com, which serves as a central hub for people who want to take action to keep abortion legal in Nebraska.

The website contains contact information for Nebraska state senators and graphics for you to download and share on your own social media accounts. There is also a form for volunteers to sign up to attend rallies, testify before the legislature during committee hearings on relevant bills, or share their own stories about abortion.

This project is part of an ongoing partnership between the ACLU of Nebraska, I Be Black Girl, Nebraska Abortion Resources (NEAR), Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska and Women’s Fund of Omaha.

Our coalition is dedicated to protecting abortion access in Nebraska. Visit NebraskansforAbortionAccess.com to stay informed on how you can take action to support abortion access and engage in any legislative battles that may come our way in 2023.

We will continue to update the Nebraskans For Abortion Access website as new developments and resources become available.