Governor Pete Ricketts has announced that he will not convene a special session in 2022. Ricketts received news from spokesman Mike Hilgers that there weren`t enough votes from senators to pass another abortion ban. 30 senators said they would support calls for a special session to introduce and pass a 12-week abortion ban, meaning anti-abortion politicians fell just three votes short of their goal. Although abortion is legal in Nebraska, there are many restrictions on abortion care. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and affirmed this right in subsequent decisions. The legislation has drawn national attention from abortion rights groups, who see it as a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that legalized abortion. If Ricketts convenes a special session, attention will likely turn to Sen. Justin Wayne, a Democrat from Omha who declined to elaborate on his stance on abortion. Wayne was conspicuously absent from a vote on this issue this year; His support would give Republicans the supermajority they need to enact a ban. It has reached agreements with senators from both parties in the past.

If a proposal to ban abortion fails at a special session, or if no special session is convened, the issue is likely to become a factor in the November elections. Nebraska was one of 23 states that had detailed specific consent requirements for abortion in 2007. [14] Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio all had laws in 2007 that required specific informed consent to abortion, but also allowed doctors performing abortions to distance themselves from the anti-abortion materials they were required to provide to their patients. [15] [16] If you need financial assistance to pay for your abortion and related expenses, Nebraska Abortion Resources (NEAR) offers financial assistance and may be able to help you. A new website serves as a one-stop shop for people who want abortion to remain legal. Abortion supporters say they will continue the fight. Roe v. The Wade decision allows states to regulate, but not prohibit, abortions up to fetal viability, or about 24 weeks` gestation. The judges upheld the decision in 1992. Abortion is legal in Nebraska up to the 20th week of pregnancy, except in the village of Hayes Center, Nebraska,[1] and the city of Blue Hill, Nebraska,[2] where abortion has been banned by local ordinance. [3] In a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, 50% of Nebraska adults said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 46% said abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. [4] Abortion is illegal in Nebraska if the fetus is more than 20 weeks after fertilization (or 22 weeks after the woman`s last period).

Abortions can only be performed after this stage if the woman`s life is in danger or if her physical health is severely impaired. The justification for this verdict was evidence that the fetus may feel pain at this stage. Both parties informed the court that there was no middle ground in the case. In anticipation of the ruling, 13 states have passed so-called trigger laws to automatically ban abortions if the court sides with abortion opponents. Ohio and Oklahoma passed their trigger laws last year. “With the passage of these laws, Nebraska is completely challenging the basic principles of Roe V. Wade in both attempts to ban abortions as soon as possible,” Northup said. Our coalition is dedicated to protecting access to abortion in Nebraska. Visit NebraskansforAbortionAccess.com to stay informed about how you can take action to support access to abortion and get involved in the legislative battles that could take place in 2023.

While there is no special session this year, Nebraska must remain prepared for anything — laws banning or restricting abortion could be introduced during the 2023 legislature. Wednesday`s vote frustrated abortion opponents, who typically win battles on the issue in the Conservative legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have already passed similar measures, but supporters of abortion rights in Nebraska have managed to block them with a filibuster in the unicameral legislature. Doctors work not only to fight for their patients, but also for themselves, as the provision of certain treatments can become illegal under an abortion ban. In 2017, 2,020 abortions were performed in Nebraska, although not all abortions that took place in Nebraska were performed on Nebraska residents: some patients may have traveled from other states and some Nebraska residents may have traveled to another state for an abortion. Between 2014 and 2017, the abortion rate in Nebraska dropped by 13 percent, from 6.3 to 5.5 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Abortions in Nebraska account for 0.2% of all abortions in the United States. [1] In the last session alone, we pushed back three abortion restrictions, including a trigger ban that would have banned abortion immediately if Roe had been overthrown. Together, we can build on this incredible victory to maintain legal abortion in Nebraska and continue our work to ensure all Nebrascans have access to the abortion care they need. Meanwhile, doctors and organizations are doing the work in case the state bans abortion. In 2017, 89 percent of U.S. counties did not have clinics offering abortions.

About 38% of women of childbearing age lived in these countries and would have had to travel elsewhere for abortions. [1] Of the patients who had an abortion in 2014, one-third had to travel more than 25 miles to reach a facility. [2] The 1973 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. The Wade decision meant that the state could no longer regulate abortion during the first trimester. [19] (However, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.