Nebraska
Billboard campaign aims attention at fund for out-of-state care • Nebraska Examiner
OMAHA — After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and sent abortion law back to the states, Nebraska lawmakers made it harder for women to get an abortion.
The officially nonpartisan Legislature banned most abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, or roughly 10 weeks after conception, tightening the previous 20-week ban.
But women still seek reproductive care later than Nebraska law allows. A group of local funders with national help and ties are raising funds and awareness of out-of-state options.
Billboards and web ads
The group, Nebraska Abortion Resources, says it is doing so by spending “tens of thousands” of dollars on a billboard campaign along major highway and interstate corridors in Omaha and Ashland.
The billboards are located near 43rd and Dodge Streets, Interstate 80 near the 42nd Street exit and I-80 near Ashland. The group is also advertising on Instagram and Facebook.
The billboards say, “Abortion Should NOT Be a Crime.” They hint at legal consequences in Nebraska and other states when women have sought care too late, including a Norfolk-area case.
In that case, a Nebraska mother and daughter were convicted of charges stemming from the daughter aborting a fetus at 29 weeks of gestation, beyond the state’s then-allowed timeline.
Investigators said in court documents that the mother bought the oral medication online to end her daughter’s pregnancy and that the two women buried the fetus.
Organizers say the billboards focused on crime because Nebraska has shortened how long a woman has to decide the fate of her pregnancy, and many women can’t get an appointment in time.
Opponents call ads misleading
Abortion-rights opponents call the ads misleading and say they are meant to draw attention to the ballot initiative and drum up support from people willing to consider other options.
Shelley Mann, who spoke for the group behind the billboards, has spoken publicly in support of the ballot initiative to put a right to an abortion in the state constitution.
Staff time to Nebraska Abortion Resources is listed as an in-kind donation from Protect Our Rights, the group pushing the abortion-rights amendment campaign.
She considers the “complicated” Norfolk case a cautionary tale of what can happen when states make women feel they have few choices other than to break the law.
“That’s two people who have had to go to jail because of seeking abortion care,” she said. “How could we have put an environment where they wouldn’t have had to do this secretly?”
Costs the group covers
The billboards list the website, AbortionNotACrime.com, where women who need care but might not be able to afford it can apply for financial assistance for travel costs and care.
Among the parts of the process the group will help pay for: flights, gas, lodging, meals, care and missed wages for people who lack paid sick days from their job or jobs.
The website says part of its funding comes from the Chicago Abortion Fund, an Illinois-based group that raises money to make reproductive care more affordable.
An appointment for an abortion often costs $800, she said. Out-of-state appointments often cost more, Mann said, and costs can skyrocket quickly if you don’t have a place to stay.
“We collect donations … and our whole purpose is to make sure the financial implications of having an abortion are never a concern when somebody is making that decision,” Mann said.
Hundreds have sought help
Her group has helped about 900 people seek care, she said. She makes social media posts on TikTok and has supported women seeking care at an abortion clinic in Bellevue.
Nate Grasz of the Nebraska Family Alliance said he sees the effort by Nebraska Abortion Resources as “very deceptive” and part of an effort to “stoke fear into voters.”
His group supports a competing amendment initiative that would prevent lawmakers from loosening abortion restrictions beyond current law but would let them ban or restrict it further.
Neither he nor Sandy Danek of Nebraska Right to Life said they knew much about the group. Danek said it could be the start of funding other states have seen with abortion on the ballot.
Mann said she hopes voters will see her group’s point.
“Nebraskans want health care not handcuffs,” she said. “Why are we putting ourselves in position where we have to think about what is happening criminally?”
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NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – Get ready for a stretch of absolutely gorgeous weather to kick off your weekend but keep an eye on the heat building as we head into next week.
This Weekend: Perfect Conditions
Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be nearly identical — sunny skies with highs climbing to around 89 and 90 degrees respectively. A light south southeast breeze at 5 to 10 mph will keep things comfortable, though gusts could reach 20 mph at times. Overnight lows will dip to the low 60s, making for pleasant sleeping weather.
This is ideal weather for outdoor plans. Whether you’re heading to a summer event, spending time at the lake, or just enjoying time outside, you won’t want to miss it.
Early Next Week: Heat Turns Up
Starting Monday, temperatures begin a steady climb. Highs will reach 91 degrees Monday, then 91 again Tuesday before pushing toward 92 on Wednesday. By Thursday and Friday, we’re looking at highs near 94 to 95 degrees.
The good news? Skies remain sunny throughout, and humidity levels should stay relatively manageable. The breeze will be light, so it won’t feel quite as intense as it could.
Click here to subscribe to our KNOP News 2 daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KNOP. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – The number of abortions performed in Nebraska rose 7.8% in 2025 as the dust begins to settle on some of the state’s — and neighboring states’ — newer abortion restrictions.
According to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), at least 2,698 abortions were performed in Nebraska in 2025. That’s 197 more than 2024’s total of 2,501 abortions in one year.
Nebraska’s abortion rate has remained relatively consistent over the last two decades, between 1,900 and 2,800 procedures performed each year. However, 2,698 is the highest the state has reached since 2008, and is the third year in a row that the number of abortions performed has increased from the previous year.
The steady increase coincides with increased abortion restrictions being implemented in Nebraska and throughout the nation in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed legislation restricting access to abortion from the previous 20 weeks, to 12 weeks gestation. The following year, voters approved language added to the state Constitution that bans most abortions after the first trimester.
Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), said this tracks with what Planned Parenthood officials have been seeing throughout the Midwest. Though she didn’t have exact numbers for the first half of 2026, she said the pace seems to be consistent with what she saw in 2025.
Notably, the number of abortions performed on Nebraska residents actually dropped from 2,054 in 2024 to 1,968 in 2025. The overall increase comes from an influx of out-of-state patients traveling to Nebraska for abortions, most of them from Iowa.
In 2023, the Iowa Legislature approved legislation banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks gestation. The law went into effect in June 2024.
Giselle Barajas, senior communications specialist for PPNCS, said Planned Parenthood has seen a 220% increase in Iowa patients coming to Nebraska between 2023 and 2025. The number nearly doubled between the last year of data, growing from 358 Iowans reported in 2024 to 635 in 2025.
Nate Grasz, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance — a lobbying group that has supported increased abortion restrictions — said the increase in Iowa patients correlates to the state’s stricter abortion laws.
“We haven’t made as much progress,” Grasz said of Nebraska’s abortion policies.
Grasz noted there are fewer places in Iowa for people to seek abortions, saying that Planned Parenthood had closed some of its clinics. Barajas said Planned Parenthood does plan to close its Iowa City Health Center at the end of the month, but noted they still have a facility in Des Moines in operation.
Grasz said there are still serious gaps in Nebraska’s laws regarding abortion. He described the DHHS statistics as a “tragic report,” saying that every one of the 2,698 abortions reported represents a baby that went unprotected and a woman who went unaided.
Grasz highlighted that medication-induced abortions also are on the rise in Nebraska, according to the report. Medication abortions made up 83% of all abortions performed in 2025, compared to about 80% in 2024.
Grasz said Legislative Bill 512, proposed by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would have been an important piece of ensuring the safety of medication abortions. The bill would have imposed additional steps before a patient could be prescribed an abortion pill, but the bill did not make it past the first round of floor debate.
Nebraska abortions by year
2008: 2,813
2009: 2,551
2010: 2,464
- Abortion ban past 20 weeks of pregnancy takes effect in Nebraska
2011: 2,372
2012: 2,299
2013: 2,177
2014: 2,270
2015: 2,004
2016: 1,907
2017: 1,958
2018: 2,078
2019: 2,068
2020: 2,378
2021: 2,360
2022: 2,547
- Roe v. Wade overturned by U.S. Supreme Court
2023: 2,325
- Nebraska Legislature approves abortion ban at 12 weeks post-gestation
2024: 2,501
- Nebraska voters approve constitutional amendment Initiative 434, banning most abortions past the first trimester
2025: 2,698
Source: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln staff and retirees are invited to register for HealthierU’s summer small group training program.
Small group training combines the motivation of group fitness with individualized guidance from a certified personal trainer, helping participants work toward fitness goals in a supportive environment.
The summer 2026 session is July 14 to Aug. 20 and meets from 6:30 to 7:20 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the recreation center on City Campus. The cost is $60 for Campus Recreation members and $110 for nonmembers.
Participants may also add pre- and post-program InBody scans for $20. The noninvasive body composition assessment helps participants measure progress and better understand changes in body composition throughout the program.
Register by completing the intake form. Registration is open through July 14 or until the program reaches capacity.
Learn more about the program.
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