LINCOLN, NEBRASKA—Nebraska legislators today advanced a bill that would divert $2 million in taxpayer money to fund anti-abortion centers—fake women’s health centers that use false and deceptive practices to lure vulnerable Nebraskans through their doors—through the use of tax credits.
Politicians slipped the $2 million tax credit into a robust amendment to LB 937. If passed, it would allow state tax filers to use donations to anti-abortion centers to reduce the amount of taxes they owe to the state. Lawmakers advanced the amended bill despite concerns raised by multiple senators about the unethical nature of anti-abortion centers. A proposed amendment to expand the tax credits for domestic violence organizations was not successful.
Prior to the vote, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska held a press conference to raise awareness of the deceptive tactics and harm caused by anti-abortion centers. These centers are not licensed medical providers. They withhold critical medical information and use false practices to scare or shame people considering abortion care.
The measure would add Nebraska to a rapidly growing list of states that want to use taxpayer dollars—whether through direct funding or tax credits—to prop up anti-abortion centers since the fall of Roe in 2022. In 2023 alone, GOP led majority legislatures in 12 states passed $250 million in funding for anti-abortion centers, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Ruth Richardson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States
“Instead of actual solutions, Nebraska lawmakers are selling these anti-abortion centers as the answer to poor birth outcomes and lacking prenatal and postpartum care. What’s worse is they specifically heavily target already marginalized communities who have long struggled to access care, including people of color, rural Nebraskans, the working class, and young Nebraskans. Nebraska already touts one of the highest numbers of counties classified as maternal health deserts—counties lacking a hospital, birth unit or obstetrics providers—in the country. Tax cuts for anti-abortion center donations do not increase access to sexual and reproductive health care. Instead, they put Nebraskans’ health at-risk by funding fake clinics that counsel pregnant people in medically inaccurate, harmful ways about their pregnancy options.”
Dr. Sarah Traxler, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States
“Nebraskans desperately need and deserve access to scientifically based, medically accurate health care. They already face significant barriers in accessing essential health care. Anti-abortion centers do nothing to address these problems. Instead, they push false, religiously laced propaganda on vulnerable pregnant people seeking what has been sold to them as health care.
Instead of contracting with ideological organizations that mislead people and endanger their health, we should be supporting medically licensed health care professionals who provide a full range of evidence-based counseling and quality health care services. When patients walk into my exam room, my top priority is providing them with the expert health care they need to address their own unique circumstances. Every Nebraskan deserves this kind of care. When a person has decided to have an abortion, they deserve to be able to access that care from a qualified medical provider without being tricked, judged, or shamed.”
Jennifer Suing, Anti-Abortion Center Storyteller
“They had multiple exam rooms in their so-called clinic area, which was only reachable through a nursery. Their consultation rooms were filled with anti-abortion pamphlets. Once I told them I wanted an abortion, they immediately began trying to talk me out of it. Wearing white coats, they insisted that an abortion could cause serious complications, including infertility. They told me there would be no turning back. I had the ultrasound. Draped in a medical gown with my feet in stirrups, they told me I was a full month later in the pregnancy than I actually was which meant I couldn’t have an abortion because I didn’t meet the cutoff under Nebraska law. I was devastated.
Soon after, I went to the emergency room and found out that the information the anti-abortion center had given me was completely false. Abortion is actually very safe, and I was not as far along in my pregnancy as they had stated.”
Andi Curry Grubb, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska
“The legislation fails to outline any minimum standards or adequate oversight and fails to require anti-abortion centers provide medically accurate information. It also does nothing to protect patient privacy. These fake clinics aren’t actual medical providers, so they aren’t required to follow HIPAA privacy rules. Nebraska politicians who want to outlaw abortion are going beyond pushing abortion bans, such as the 12-week ban passed last legislative session. They are trying to restrict, control and manipulate the information provided to pregnant Nebraskans to achieve a narrow, unpopular agenda that doesn’t align with the values of the people they are elected to serve.”
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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization. As the advocacy and electoral arm of PPNCS, we mobilize supporters of all parties to defend and increase access to family planning services and fact based, medically accurate sexuality education. We work to inspire and engage citizens to take up the cause of reproductive health and rights through education, electoral activity, grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy.
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