Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen signed legislation on Monday prohibiting most abortions after 12 weeks, with exceptions for sexual assault, incest, and medical crises.
The measure does not define “medical emergency,” and it includes a provision that puts the rules into force the day after it is signed.
LB 574, which was approved by the state’s Republican-controlled unicameral legislature by a vote of 33-15 last week, also prohibits gender-affirming care for persons under the age of 19. After prior attempts to limit abortions failed due to a filibuster, the abortion amendment was put onto the law.
The measure only authorises medical procedures for transitioning after a “waiting period” and “therapeutic hours” to determine whether a person’s gender dysphoria is “long-lasting and intense.” The chief medical officer of Nebraska’s Division of Public Health will establish the specifics of those requirements.
Pillen stated in a statement following the bill’s passing, “All children deserve a chance to grow and live happy, fruitful lives.” This covers unborn boys and girls, as well as children who are grappling with their gender identification. These children need the chance to develop and discover who they are and what they want to be, and they can do so without making irrevocable decisions that should be made when they are completely mature.”
The new regulation is in line with continuing legislative efforts in the United States to restrict access to abortion and gender-affirming care. According to data provided by the American Civil Liberties Union, more than a dozen states have moved to restrict gender-affirming care in 2023, and more than 130 legislation addressing LGBTQ rights, including health care for transgender patients, have been submitted nationwide this legislative session.
“From North Carolina to Nebraska, extremists masquerading as leaders continue to restrict abortion access across the country,” Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted Monday. “Enough already. We need a federal statute to reinstate Roe v. Wade safeguards for women in all 50 states.”
According to the American Psychiatric Association, gender-affirming care is clinically appropriate for children and adults with gender dysphoria, the psychological suffering that can occur when a person’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth do not coincide. However, several Republicans have expressed concern about the treatments’ long-term implications.
Some Nebraskans have expressed dissatisfaction with the plan, and many protested and jammed the corridors of the state Capitol last week as legislators spoke, resulting in the arrest of numerous people on Friday on counts ranging from disturbing the peace to blocking a government operation.
Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the ACLU of Nebraska, stated last week that the law’s ramifications will be “devastating.”
“To be clear, we reject this as our new normal.” This vote is not the last word. We are already evaluating our options for addressing the harm caused by this excessive legislation, and that work will receive our entire attention. “This is far from over,” Chipman declared.
