LINCOLN- A known debate that will reach the Nebraska legislature was foreshadowed this week amongst the body. Senator Hunt had filed a motion that would have recommitted the abortion bill (LB626) to the Judiciary committee rather than the Health and Human Services Committee. This prompted a 2-day heated debate that surely foreshadows what is to come.

The vote to recommit barely failed as party lines were very evident. Changing committees would have slowed down the forward progress of LB626, but it would not have stopped it in all. The bill would prohibit abortions after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected, with narrow exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the woman. Physicians who violate the ban would be subject to losing their professional licenses.

The HHS Committee has four Republicans to three Democrats, while the Judiciary Committee has four of each, meaning the bill probably would have stalled there. But abortion rights opponents could have used another procedural motion to pull the bill out of committee to the full Legislature. Senators argued that the injury to doctors in the bill falls under Judiciary jurisdiction.

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