Abortion ban legislation is back in Nebraska and South Carolina

In Nebraska, Republican Sen. Ben Hansen added a 12-week abortion ban as an amendment to a separate bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The proposal includes exceptions in cases of sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies.

Nebraska law currently prohibits most abortions starting at 20 weeks.

The amendment was added to the bill after a previous attempt to pass a six week “heartbeat” ban failed by a single vote two weeks ago.

Opponents of the effort are crying foul, because state rules require legislation to only be about a single subject. 

But local news station KOLN reported that supporters argue the amendment is allowed because both it and the underlying bill are related to medical procedures.

The six-week ban failed to pass after Sen. Merv Riepe, an 80 year-old longtime Republican, abstained from the vote to end debate on the legislation. Riepe introduced an amendment that would ban abortions after 12 weeks, but it wasn’t given a vote.

Meanwhile in South Carolina, lawmakers are quickly advancing their own “heartbeat” abortion ban, which would ban all abortions after six weeks with a very specific set of exemptions. 

The exemptions are aimed at getting around a state Supreme Court ruling from earlier this year that overturned the state’s previous six-week abortion ban. Republican lawmakers think they have made adjustments that will pass muster.

The House wasn’t able to vote on the bill before the end of its legislative session, so Gov. Henry McMaster (R) will call a special session that begins next week.

House Speaker Murrell Smith (R) has said the special session will tackle other items, too, but abortion will likely be the biggest.

The state Senate two weeks ago rejected a near-total abortion ban after a bipartisan, multi-day filibuster by the chamber’s five female lawmakers.