Nebraska bill would incentivize donations to anti-abortion pregnancy centers

LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker trying to limit abortion entry inside the state additionally needs to incentivize donations to being pregnant facilities that oppose abortions.

The Legislature’s Income Committee held a public listening to Friday on Legislative Invoice 606, dubbed the “Nebraska Being pregnant Assist Act.” Its introducer, State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, stated the facilities that might profit from the invoice “empower unsupported girls to decide on a unique and higher future for themselves and their kids.”

Opponents portrayed the organizations as “anti-abortion facilities,” and accused them of usually missing the medical experience of different reproductive well being facilities. 

LB 606 would provide tax credit for donations to being pregnant facilities that don’t present abortions. The invoice would cap the whole tax credit distributed at $10 million per 12 months, with particular person credit depending on the donor’s annual contribution.

Donations would solely qualify for tax credit if the cash goes to an authorized charitable group that assists girls in carrying their pregnancies to time period, helps with parenting or adoption, prevents abortions and promotes wholesome childbirths. The group can’t present, refer or promote abortions, and can’t financially help some other organizations that do the identical.

LB 606 accompanies LB 626, one other Albrecht invoice that might ban most abortions within the state as soon as embryonic cardiac exercise may be detected, which is often round six weeks of being pregnant.

That invoice superior out of the Well being and Human Providers Committee earlier this week. Albrecht introduced earlier Friday that she would make LB 626 her precedence invoice for the session, a transfer that may assist guarantee it comes up for debate by the complete Legislature. 

Albrecht stated it was necessary for the Legislature to think about methods to bolster help for pregnant girls.

“Whether or not you might be pro-life or pro-choice, we will all agree that each girl and baby deserves love and help,” Albrecht stated. 

The Income Committee heard from a number of anti-abortion advocates and representatives of being pregnant facilities in help of the invoice, who largely attested to the necessity for these facilities. Being pregnant heart representatives vouched for the vary of companies the organizations provide, together with ultrasounds, psychological well being companies, meals and post-abortion counseling. 

Gina Tomes, a former worker with Bethlehem Home in Omaha, described the ladies’s shelter as a spot that gives housing to girls who “select life.”

“They’re a vivid mild of compassionate care,” stated Karen Bowling, govt director of Nebraska Household Alliance. 

Opponents to LB 606 included OpenSky Coverage Institute, Deliberate Parenthood North Central States and ACLU of Nebraska, together with different abortion-rights advocates. Many opponents alleged the facilities deliberately share deceptive info to steer girls to not search an abortion. 

In addition they alleged most of facilities don’t rent licensed medical professionals regardless of portraying themselves as respectable medical facilities. A number of opponents claimed these facilities obtain 5 instances extra funding nationwide than maternal medication services, and argued they didn’t want extra state help.

“This isn’t the invoice to care for moms and infants,” stated Erin Feichtinger, coverage director for the Girls’s Fund of Omaha. 

Schooling researcher Carina McCormick stated she doubted all the info supplied by supporting testifiers was correct. However even when it was all true, she argued it could be unfair for Nebraska to offer tax credit benefiting these organizations and omit all the opposite nonprofits inside the state. 

Joey Adler Ruane with OpenSky made an identical argument, saying that LB 606 offers preferential therapy to some charities over others.