The Nebraska legislature passed a contentious bill on Friday, implementing a 12-week abortion ban and restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors.
Nebraska’s new abortion ban, its first since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling last year, reduces the state’s current abortion limit from around 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, and cases where delivery could pose a risk to the life of the mother.
The bill also restricts transgender youths under 19 from receiving gender-confirming surgery. The state’s chief medical officer will establish rules for puberty blockers and hormone therapies, with some exceptions for minors already undergoing treatment.
Some lawmakers voiced concerns in the immediate aftermath of the bill’s passage. Senator Michaela Cavanaugh, whose catchphrase is #Don’tLegislateHate, tweeted:
State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh invokes God in opposition to LB574, a bill restricting abortion and transgender health care in the Nebraska Legislature. pic.twitter.com/9lPj2TYHIT
— Nebraska Public Media News (@NebPubMediaNews) May 19, 2023
The passage of the bill follows a controversial merging of the abortion limits with the transgender health bill, a move that has been criticized as underhanded by progressive lawmakers. Despite the controversy, the bill will take effect immediately once signed by the governor due to an attached emergency clause.
