LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — There will not be a special session called to amend abortion rights in Nebraska, according to a statement released Monday by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
Ricketts received a letter from Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers indicating that 30 state senators support amending Nebraska’s abortion laws, just three short of the 33 senators that would be necessary to break a filibuster. They were looking to prohibit abortions starting at 12 weeks in a special session.
“It is deeply saddening that only 30 Nebraska state senators are willing to come back to Lincoln this fall in order to protect innocent life. The proposal to change Nebraska’s state law that prohibits abortions starting at 20 weeks and reduce that to 12 weeks is a measured, reasonable step to protect more preborn babies in our state,” said Ricketts.
The letter listing the state senators who supported prohibiting abortions starting at 12 weeks in a special session is available online.
One of those that didn’t sign on was State Senator and Gubernatorial candidate Carol Blood.
“The governor and speaker knew they didn’t have the support and the letter is part of a dog and pony show to show that it isn’t their fault we aren’t going into a special session,” said Blood.
Blood said she wasn’t presented with any specific legislation by the Speaker and couldn’t sign on to the session without first knowing what she would be debating.
Blood said she has also become frustrated with the dialogue around abortion in Nebraska and says the conversation has focused too much on being pro or anti-abortion instead of focusing on the healthcare of the women who will be affected by any new legislation.
“They are trying to reel in what they did in the last session. They put the lives of Nebraskans at risk by implementing a total ban, that put the future of medicine in peril. They can keep playing these political games with Nebraska’s healthcare but myself and many other senators aren’t gonna have it this time,” said Blood.
The lack of a special session means abortion will remain legal until at least January but the margin of support for new legislation could be very different when the legislature reconvenes as at least 16 new senators will be seated before then.
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