LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted to advance LB626, Sen. Albrecht's Heartbeat Act, to its second round of debate. In total, 32 Republican senators voted to advance the bill, as well as Democrat Sen. Mike McDonnell. Following its advancement, Sen. Joni Albrecht called it a "monumental" victory for Nebraska.

"This is about elective abortions," Albrecht said of her bill's intent, "I know every woman and every child deserves love. We can protect their lives." LB626 will now move on to its second round of debate, when Sen. Merv Riepe intends to discuss his amendment that would shift the abortion ban from roughly 6 weeks to 12 weeks. However, Riepe, a former hospital executive, said he would support LB626 as written so long as the Legislature discusses his amendment.

Democratic senators in the body expressed anguish at the passage of the bill. Sen. Megan Hunt, a vehement opponent of the bill, said, "In a state where we are criminalizing care...what's next? Every year, we have some kind of abortion ban. What's next? They just keep coming, one after another." Other senators questioned which abortions will be allowed under the bill, citing the bill's alleged vagueness. "The sound you hear on an ultrasound is not a heartbeat," said Sen. Jen Day, another opponent.

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