Legislative Update:
March 2

Wow—advocates for gender and racial equity really showed up at the Capitol last week! You filled hearing rooms and demanded elected officials know that you support unrestricted access to reproductive health care, including abortion. You submitted online comments sharing your personal stories and requested to be seen and trusted to make the decisions that are best for you and your family. Thank you for your advocacy to not only protect but also expand reproductive rights in Nebraska!

Next steps:

  • Contact Your Senator in Support of Reproductive Rights. “Abortion-rights supporters outnumbered opponents Thursday at a trio of legislative hearings over the future of legal abortion in Nebraska,” reported the Omaha World-Herald. It’s time to make it clear to senators that a person’s health, not politics, should guide medical decisions at every point in a pregnancy. Call or email your senator today!
  • Join us at the Omaha Women’s Day March on Sunday! Women’s rights are under attack in Nebraska and gender equity is being pushed farther from our reach. Rally with us as we plan to make it impossible to be ignored and silenced. Together, we are unstoppable. We’ll see you at Turner Park at 2 pm!

Tomorrow, March 3, is the final day of committee hearings before the session moves to full days of floor debate. The bills that have been selected as priority bills by Senators, the Speaker and Committees will be the legislation likely to move to the floor for full debate by the Legislature.

Here are the priority bills that will impact gender equity in Nebraska:

SUPPORT

✅  LB 121, introduced and prioritized by Senator Megan Hunt, eliminates the lifetime ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for individuals with certain previous convictions. This bill addresses food insecurity and provides support to people who need it.

✅  LB 1246, introduced by Senator Patty Pansing Brooks and selected as a Speaker priority bill, provides survivors of sexual assault and sex trafficking with anonymity. This bill, which moved to select file (second stage of debate) on a 41-0 vote, will prevent the disclosure of identifying information and protect victims from further harm. For more information, see our fact sheets (English / Spanish).

OPPOSE

❌  LB 933, introduced by Senator Joni Albrecht and prioritized by Senator Mike Hilgers, would ban abortions if Roe v Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court. Everyone deserves the right to decide if, when and how to start a family. We cannot allow more restrictions to pass that stand in the way of women and the health care they need. To be absolutely clear, there is no medical reason to ban abortions, only political. While anti-abortion politicians see this moment as an opportunity to push safe abortion care out of reach, advocates showed up in force during the hearing last week to demand access to abortion care.

❌  LB 1086, introduced by Senator Suzanne Geist and prioritized by Senator John Lowe, would restrict access to medication abortion, which has gained broad acceptance from patients and medical providers across the US. The growing popularity of this FDA-approved method has been targeted by anti-abortion politicians seeking to restrict care. We cannot allow further restrictions to stand in the way of women and the health care they need.

See the next steps above on what actions to take to keep abortion safe and legal in Nebraska!

REMINDER! You are the Second House in Nebraska. Continue to use your voice to shape legislation. Contact your senator. Speak up for gender and racial equity. Get loud!

We are in this together!