LINCOLN- Nebraska's Supreme Court protected the Legislature's right to decide which bills are related, which allowed the last-minute combination of a stricter abortion ban and restrictions on treatment options for transgender minors. Planned Parenthood argued that Legislative Bill 574 unconstitutionally combined two unrelated topics into one law. Their challenge did not succeed as the court disagreed with their assertion that lawmakers overstepped the boundaries of their duties.

This decision protects the legislature's practice of combining bills as long as they address a related topic, a common timesaving practice from lawmakers. Since the bill's title was aimed at "public safety and welfare," the court decided that the blanket term encompassed all aspects of the bill. Governor Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers celebrated the decision. “The Legislature passed Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban and its ban on gender-altering procedures for minors, and we are pleased that the Court upheld the constitutionality of the Legislature’s work,” Hilgers said.

A representative of Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, issued a statement expressing their disappointment in the decision and holding that the bill should have separated the topics. “Nebraskans have been harmed every week since the governor signed LB 574 into law. That will continue under today’s ruling. However, this case will not be the final word on abortion access and the rights of trans youth and their families," said ACLU Nebraska's executive director Mindy Rush Chipman. Advocates are dedicated to continuing the fight for reproductive and trans rights in the state despite this setback.

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