A constitutional amendment that effectively codifies Nebraska's current abortion restrictions took effect Thursday.
Gov. Jim Pillen (R) officially signed a ballot measure that restricts abortions after 12 weeks, with some exceptions. passed In November, it received 54.9% support. nebraska state examiner reported. Nebraska is the first state to include abortion restrictions in its constitution since the Supreme Court's reversal Roe vs. Wade According to the report, in 2022.
There were two in Nebraska. Dueling abortion measures There are two proposals on the ballot: one that would extend the term throughout pregnancy with some exceptions, and another that would essentially keep the current 12-week limit in place but allow lawmakers to change the law in the future. .
Voters ultimately chose to tighten the current restrictions. initiative 434 And he rejected more radical abortion measures. initiative 439.
Initiative 434 enshrines the state's current 12-week limit in the state constitution, with exceptions for rape, incest, and maternal life. 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 Family Alliance supported the measure. noticed The proposed amendment would “place a floor, not a ceiling, on protections, meaning prenatal children must be protected through at least the second trimester, and there is a possibility that stronger pro-life legislation will be passed in the future.” There is.”
Another amendment would allow abortion until the fetus is viable (approximately 24 weeks of gestation), and then throughout the pregnancy, with some exceptions. 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.
Overall, vDuring this election cycle, 10 other states were asked whether they wanted to enshrine the right to abortion in their state constitutions.
Seven of the 10 states decided to vote in favor of the pro-abortion measure, but three states opposed it: Florida, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The defeat ended the pro-abortion lobby's winning streak that began in the 2022 midterm elections following a Supreme Court ruling. overturn Roe vs. Wade. The pro-abortion victory sets new challenges for the pro-life movement, which will continue to work to change the culture's view of life in the womb.
Since fall 2019, all pro-abortion ballot measures 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.
Voting measures are particularly effective as attack vectors because they are essentially irreversible. Ballot measures change the state constitution, override laws passed by the state Legislature, and can only be overturned by another ballot measure or a lengthy legal battle. Anti-abortion efforts are typically supported by well-funded left-wing organizations and affiliates such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, out-of-state black money groups, and left-wing billionaires, often two or three times more powerful than pro-life groups. exceeds the expenditure of
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
