The Road To Gilead Goes Through Nebraska

Nebraska's Republican-controlled state legislature is the latest red state to ban abortion after 12 weeks, passing a double trouble bill that also bans trans kids from getting gender-affirming healthcare, because why not be "pro-life" fascist assholes trying to legislate trans kids out of existence?

 

Nebraska lawmakers gave their final approval to a bill that bans some gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth as well as abortions after 12 weeks.

At the end of an emotional and often raucous day that was briefly interrupted by protests in the legislative chamber, 33 senators voted to shut off a filibuster and send the bill (LB754) to Gov. Jim Pillen for his signature.

Because the bill has an emergency clause attached, LB574 will become law a day after Pillen signs it.

When it does, gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 19 would be outlawed in Nebraska, and the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to develop regulations for puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Opponents said that rule-making process could ultimately ban those treatments, as well.

Transgender youth who have already begun treatments before Oct. 1 this year would be allowed to continue those treatments, according to supporters.

As amended earlier this week, the bill also bans abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, which is marked from a woman's last menstrual period. That's about 10 weeks after fertilization.

The scene in the Rotunda Friday as Nebraska lawmakers debate LB574.

Opponents raised concerns about the lack of exceptions for fetal anomalies, and that the amendment did not remove criminal penalties for abortion from state statute.

Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, told Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, who raised those concerns, that he would work to remove those criminal penalties in a future legislative session.

An amendment from Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont would have changed 12 weeks gestational age to 12 weeks post fertilization and added "fetal anomalies incompatible with life" to the bill. But that amendment was not considered on Friday.

 

Once again, these abortion bans will not stop at 12 weeks or for medical exceptions, the gender-affirming healthcare bans will not stop at just for those under 19, they will be total and complete bans through state regulatory agencies as soon as SCOTUS signs off on them in the next year or two and doctors in these states will have long stopped providing these services at all because of the felony prison penalties. 

This is the plan, and all of this is setting up nationwide bans for the next GOP trifecta to sign into law.