Lawmakers Pass Legislation Limiting Nebraskans’ Access to Health Care and Reproductive Rights
By Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska | Aug. 13, 2020, 7:15 p.m.
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State lawmakers today passed legislation that places unnecessary barriers on Nebraskans’ access to safe and legal abortion and inserts politics into what should be private medical decisions between a patient and their doctor.
LB 814 bans and criminalizes the medically preferred method of care for second trimester abortions, especially for women with complicating medical conditions. Planned Parenthood North Central States strongly opposed the legislation and testified against it. By denying patients access to a recommended medical procedure and criminalizing standard of care, this bill places physicians unable to meet patients’ fundamental health care needs.
“Today lawmakers continued their attack on reproductive health care in Nebraska, creating arbitrary barriers to safe, legal abortion,” said Andi Curry Grubb, Nebraska Executive Director of Planned Parenthood North Central States. “This egregious law is not about improving the health care of Nebraskans and, instead, is about shaming them and placing additional burdens on women. Despite these attempts, we at Planned Parenthood will continue to connect women with the critical care they need.”
Only a small number of abortions in Nebraska are performed during the second trimester for various reasons, including health risks to pregnant women and fetal anomalies that aren’t detected until later in pregnancy. Also, increased barriers to abortion such as mandated waiting periods, delays in accessing insurance, and a lack of providers may force some women to obtain abortion care in the second trimester instead of earlier in their pregnancy.
“Nebraskans are facing unprecedented challenges during this pandemic,” said Meg Mikolajczyk, Nebraska Deputy Director and Legal Counsel for Planned Parenthood North Central States. “Instead of wasting precious time interfering with personal health care decisions, they should have been focused on finding solutions that help move our state forward.”
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