Abortion will officially be on the ballot in 10 states in November, but in Nebraska voters will have the opportunity to vote on a controversial abortion amendment.
One measure would essentially allow abortions throughout pregnancy, and the other would codify the state's current 12-week abortion limit.
of Amendments to protect women and childrenalso called Initiative 434 would enshrine the state's current 12-week limit into the state constitution, including exceptions for rape, incest and maternal death. Republican Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed In May 2023, a bill was introduced that would restrict abortions at 12 weeks of pregnancy and outlaw “gender-affirming care” for minors. Before the 12-week limit went into effect, Nebraska limited abortions to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The ballot paper reads:
Fetuses must be protected from second- and third-trimester abortions, unless a woman seeks a necessary abortion due to a medical emergency, or the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault or incest.
The Nebraska Commission to Protect Women and Children included It is made up of four medical experts and has the backing of pro-life groups in the state as an alternative to other ballot measures that would allow abortion during pregnancy.
The Nebraska Family Alliance also supports the measure. said It “establishes a floor, not a ceiling, for protections, meaning that newborn children must be protected until at least the second trimester, and stronger pro-life legislation could be passed in the future.” .”
Another amendment, the “Protecting the Right to Abortion'' amendment, would allow abortion until the fetus is viable (approximately 24 weeks of gestation), and then throughout the pregnancy with some exceptions. It is something. The coalition supporting the measure is called the “Protect Our Rights” campaign and is supported by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska.
of measurement The state constitution would be amended as follows:
Everyone has the fundamental right to an abortion, without interference from the state or its political wing, until the fetus is viable or if necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient. shall be taken as a thing. Fetal viability is the point in pregnancy at which, in the professional judgment of the healthcare provider treating the patient, there is a reasonable likelihood that the fetus will survive outside the uterus without the application of special medical measures. means.
The bills are competing, meaning that if voters somehow approve both amendments, they cannot both be enacted into the state constitution. The one with the most “yes” votes will be adopted.
In both measures, need It would require a majority to pass, requiring the support of 35 percent of voters who cast a ballot.
Every pro-abortion ballot measure since fall 2019 egg Successful. Kansan during the 2022 special election. rejected The ballot measure established that the state constitution does not include a right to abortion. In the 2022 midterm elections, voters will California, michiganand vermont state Abortion was codified into the Constitution. At the same time, voters in Montana rejected This was a ballot measure that gave rights to babies born alive after failed abortions. Kentucky voters too rejected Amendments similar to those in Kansas. Last November, people in Ohio also I voted Codifying the purported right to abortion into the state constitution through Title I.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
