Nebraska

Billboard campaign aims attention at fund for out-of-state care • Nebraska Examiner

Published

1 year ago

June 12, 2024

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.

Ashlei Spivey of Protect Our Rights, the Nebraska group pushing to add a right to an abortion to the Nebraska state constitution, spoke about the importance of letting women and their doctors make health care decisions. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

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.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen addresses a crowd of anti-abortion advocates outside the Capitol. April 12, 2023. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

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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Nebraska

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Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule. / Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

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Nebraska Women’s Basketball Tops Purdue Fort Wayne at Emerald Coast Classic

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Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About Nebraska Football

Published

3 days ago

November 24, 2025

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Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About Nebraska Football

Adam Carriker speaks off the cuff/Gut Reaction style about Nebraska, Matt Rhule, Emmett Johnson, TJ Lateef & Husker football in this unique episode of the Carriker Chronicles. Carriker always prepares a lot, but he doesn’t use many notes in this raw and candid show! Nebraska football has to get better and do so very soon.

Big Ten football & college football fans…Let’s talk Huskers & about what’s happened! Adam Carriker does a position by position analysis of what’s taken place so far this year. What does he see between Dylan Raiola and TJ Lateef at quarterback? What does Adam see when it comes to Lateef playing versus Iowa, and what may happen during the off-season, also who may be being overlooked in that quarterback room right now?

When it comes to the running back, Adam points out absolutely amazing stats about Emmett Johnson. One is good and one is also concerning for Nebraska as a team. It also must be addressed at some point who is the true backup as well.

The wide receivers have done something this year that Adam couldn’t be more happy about, but that being said, they also need to improve in a drastic area as well, and Carriker addresses that too. Why does Adam feel the tight ends have been under-utilized when it comes to not only Luke Lindenmeyer, but Henrich Haarberg as well? Tune in to hear Adam‘s thoughts on this specifically!

Has Nebraska been playing six-on-11 football this year at times when it comes to the offensive line? Maybe that’s a bit unfair, but it is pretty obvious that Dana Holgorsen has completely changed how he calls games due to what he believes the offensive line’s limitations are.

Let’s also chat about the defensive line and why, while nobody knew for sure what was gonna happen up front defensively this year, Adam Carriker mentioned that some of this may have been a little easy to predict — even easier than Husker fans may have liked to admit.

The second level of the defense has had some ups and downs. Let’s chat about that and what the future looks like there as well! The defensive secondary has been elite, or has it? And finally, Adam points out some absolutely amazing statistics about Nebraska special teams. Also, what has been the one thing that’s been a little bit underwhelming to this point?

Adam gives us summation of Matt Rhule’s approach to rebuilding Nebraska football, and he compares it to Curt Cignetti, Deion Sanders and other college coaches as well. Why does Matt Rhule not mind taking a couple of steps backward in order to go forward? And the ultimate question, will Nebraska ultimately take those big steps forward that Matt Rhule is hoping for?! This is a can’t-miss episode of the Carriker Chronicles!

Go Big Red and always remember to Throw The Bones!

☛ Get more Carriker Chronicles here on Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, at Adam’s website and on YouTube.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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