Historic Ballot Amendment on Abortion in Nebraska
A significant ballot amendment aimed at limiting abortion rights has successfully passed in Nebraska, as reported by The Associated Press. This amendment restricts abortion access beyond the first three months of pregnancy and outperformed a competing measure that sought to establish a right to abortion until fetal viability. This legislative move comes amid a nationwide trend, as Nebraska is one of ten states that considered similar abortion-related ballot measures this year. Abortion rights advocates aimed to leverage the growing public support for abortion access, particularly in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Notably, Nebraska stands out as the sole state where anti-abortion activists initiated their own amendment to curtail abortion rights. State officials had previously indicated that if both measures received majority support, the one with the higher vote count would prevail. The competing measure, proposed by abortion rights groups, aimed to safeguard a “fundamental right” to abortion until the point of viability, typically around 24 weeks of gestation. Under that proposal, the state could enforce restrictions or outright bans on abortion after viability, except in circumstances where the life or health of the pregnant individual is at stake.
Opponents of abortion rights attempted to gather enough signatures for a more stringent amendment that would have prohibited abortion from the moment of conception. However, they were unsuccessful in this endeavor. Instead, they shifted their focus to the successful measure that now amends the State Constitution, stipulating that “unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimester,” with specific exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies.
The proponents of the successful amendment argue that it effectively reaffirms a law passed by Nebraska lawmakers the previous year. This law prohibits abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions made to preserve the life of the pregnant woman, to mitigate serious health risks, and in instances of rape and incest.
