News
NCC outlines positions on legislative bills
April 18, 2019
A school choice bill might be grabbing the headlines, but it’s not the only legislation being followed by the Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC).
The conference also is taking positions on bills concerning pro-life, health care and other issues recently introduced in the Nebraska Legislature.
Priorities include opposing bills that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to employment nondiscrimination laws, allow doctor-prescribed suicide, and expand access to abortion for minors who don’t have parental consent, said Tom Venzor, executive director of the conference, which represents the public policy interests of Nebraska’s three bishops.
In addition to backing school choice (PAGE 4), the NCC is supporting bills to create "Choose Life" specialty license plates, and to provide information for pregnant mothers carrying a child diagnosed with a lethal fetal abnormality. That information would include the kind of physical, emotional and spiritual support available as they continue their pregnancies.
"The NCC will work tirelessly during this legislative session to protect life, defend the family, protect religious liberty, care for the poor and downtrodden, advance robust education opportunities for all students and parents, and look after the public policy interests of the church," Venzor said.
NCC position Details
LB46 – "Choose Life" License Plates – Support
Would create "Choose Life" license plate for motor vehicles. Funds received from the plates would go to the Child Abuse Prevention Fund.
LB450 – Doctor-Prescribed Suicide – Oppose
Designed to create immunity for doctors assisting suicides of patients believed to have less than six months to live. Doctors could prescribe lethal prescriptions that patients would take on their own.
LB506 – Compassion and Care for Medically Challenging Pregnancies – Support
Provide mothers with information about perinatal hospice care services, including mental, physical, emotional and spiritual support at the time their unborn child is diagnosed with a lethal fetal abnormality. Seeks to provide mothers and families with information to continue their pregnancies with the best healthcare available.
LB529 – Broader authorization of Judicial Bypass for Abortion – Oppose
Expands ability of minors who have been refused parental consent, and others deemed incapacitated and appointed a guardian, to obtain an abortion through a judicial bypass.
LB173 – Prohibit Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity – Oppose
Seeks to add gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes under state employment nondiscrimination law. The bill lacks robust religious liberty exemptions for people of faith or faith-based employers.
Additional bills
LB194 – Regulations on Payday Lenders – Support
LB120 – Expanding Contraceptive Services – Oppose
LB446 – Repeal the Death Penalty – Support
LB62 – Repeal a Provision that Prohibits Public School Teachers from Wearing Religious Garb – Support
LB289 – Increase Penalties for Human Sex Trafficking – Support
LB407 – Create Whiteclay Public Health Emergency Task Force – Support