The largest abortion provider in the U.S. is leading and financing an effort to slip a deceptive, dangerous and demeaning pro-abortion amendment into the Nebraska Constitution. In November, abortion activists filed paperwork with the Nebraska Secretary of State to begin the signature-gathering process to be on the ballot in November 2024. They have until early July to collect around 120,000 signatures from across Nebraska. Because they will spend the money needed to gather these signatures, it is nearly a foregone conclusion this pro-abortion ballot measure will be voted on in November.
It is critical that Nebraska be informed about why this proposal is deceptive, dangerous and demeaning, and why Nebraskans – and especially Catholics – should oppose this measure every step of the way to November.
Deceptive. The proposed constitutional amendment reads: “All persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient, without interference from the state or its political subdivisions. Fetal viability means the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient’s treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.”
While the language attempts to be measured and sound reasonable to the average Nebraskan, the pro-abortion amendment uses purposefully vague and abstract terminology to expand abortion in Nebraska drastically.
Let me offer some examples.
Terms like “viability” can be manipulated by the abortion industry, placing healthy second and third-trimester preborn babies at risk of being killed by abortion. “Without interference of the state” jeopardizes the ability of the Nebraska Legislature to continue implementing common-sense health and safety protections for moms and babies. The “health” exception is a significant loophole that will result in late-pregnancy abortions for non-medical factors, such as financial and familial “health.” “Extraordinary medical care” can be manipulated by abortion providers to deny basic neonatal care to babies and terminate their lives instead. The language could even force Nebraskans into funding abortion with their tax dollars, which has been a wildly unpopular idea among Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Dangerous. Because of the way the proposal is written, it risks eliminating 50 years of common sense protections for moms and babies against unsafe abortion practices. This includes laws related to informed consent, parental consent and certain particularly barbaric abortion practices like dismemberment abortion.
Nebraska law currently allows first-trimester abortions and provides additional abortion exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, a law that is supported by two-thirds of Nebraskans. But the push for this pro-abortion constitutional amendment makes clear that the abortion industry and activists aren’t satisfied. They want to write late-pregnancy abortion into the state constitution despite the fact that studies clearly demonstrate that late-pregnancy abortions are high-risk and traumatic for women and girls.
Demeaning. Ultimately, the pro-abortion amendment proposal tries to make voters believe that late-pregnancy abortions are necessary for Nebraska women to thrive, which is not true. The abortion industry profits off women feeling afraid, isolated, anxious and without options at a time when pregnant women can trust in family, friends and fellow Nebraskans to meet them in their needs during and after pregnancy.
The pro-abortion amendment contains a “culture of death” worldview that runs counter to the values of most Nebraskans who are ready and willing to help moms and babies in difficult pregnancies, as we see through the incredible works of our pregnancy help organizations, parish programs like Walking with Moms in Need and our Catholic hospitals.
Too Extreme. The bottom line is that this dangerous, deceptive and demeaning proposal is too extreme for Nebraskans and must be opposed and defeated.
Take Action. Nebraskans will almost inevitably vote on this amendment come Election Day, November 5. While this date seems far off into the distance, it will be here before we know it. And we must begin undertaking efforts immediately. Every day that passes us by is another missed opportunity for educating Catholics and the general public about the problems of this pro-abortion proposal.
For now, we urge four key action items. Start talking to 3-5 people per week about why this abortion proposal is bad for Nebraska. Reach out to the Nebraska Catholic Conference and talk to us about coming to your parish for a presentation so we can educate your community. Commit to increased prayer and fasting for the defeat of this ballot initiative. Visit www.NEcatholic.org to join our network, learn more and find additional resources to defeat this effort.
Let’s not wake up on November 6 thinking about the “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” moments that passed us by. Let’s wake up on November 6 knowing that we did everything in our power to value life in the Good Life!
Tom Venzor is executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, with headquarters in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.
Commentary
Pro-Abortion Ballot Language: Deceptive, Dangerous & Demeaning
March 11, 2024
The largest abortion provider in the U.S. is leading and financing an effort to slip a deceptive, dangerous and demeaning pro-abortion amendment into the Nebraska Constitution. In November, abortion activists filed paperwork with the Nebraska Secretary of State to begin the signature-gathering process to be on the ballot in November 2024. They have until early July to collect around 120,000 signatures from across Nebraska. Because they will spend the money needed to gather these signatures, it is nearly a foregone conclusion this pro-abortion ballot measure will be voted on in November.
It is critical that Nebraska be informed about why this proposal is deceptive, dangerous and demeaning, and why Nebraskans – and especially Catholics – should oppose this measure every step of the way to November.
Deceptive. The proposed constitutional amendment reads: “All persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient, without interference from the state or its political subdivisions. Fetal viability means the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient’s treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.”
While the language attempts to be measured and sound reasonable to the average Nebraskan, the pro-abortion amendment uses purposefully vague and abstract terminology to expand abortion in Nebraska drastically.
Let me offer some examples.
Terms like “viability” can be manipulated by the abortion industry, placing healthy second and third-trimester preborn babies at risk of being killed by abortion. “Without interference of the state” jeopardizes the ability of the Nebraska Legislature to continue implementing common-sense health and safety protections for moms and babies. The “health” exception is a significant loophole that will result in late-pregnancy abortions for non-medical factors, such as financial and familial “health.” “Extraordinary medical care” can be manipulated by abortion providers to deny basic neonatal care to babies and terminate their lives instead. The language could even force Nebraskans into funding abortion with their tax dollars, which has been a wildly unpopular idea among Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Dangerous. Because of the way the proposal is written, it risks eliminating 50 years of common sense protections for moms and babies against unsafe abortion practices. This includes laws related to informed consent, parental consent and certain particularly barbaric abortion practices like dismemberment abortion.
Nebraska law currently allows first-trimester abortions and provides additional abortion exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, a law that is supported by two-thirds of Nebraskans. But the push for this pro-abortion constitutional amendment makes clear that the abortion industry and activists aren’t satisfied. They want to write late-pregnancy abortion into the state constitution despite the fact that studies clearly demonstrate that late-pregnancy abortions are high-risk and traumatic for women and girls.
Demeaning. Ultimately, the pro-abortion amendment proposal tries to make voters believe that late-pregnancy abortions are necessary for Nebraska women to thrive, which is not true. The abortion industry profits off women feeling afraid, isolated, anxious and without options at a time when pregnant women can trust in family, friends and fellow Nebraskans to meet them in their needs during and after pregnancy.
The pro-abortion amendment contains a “culture of death” worldview that runs counter to the values of most Nebraskans who are ready and willing to help moms and babies in difficult pregnancies, as we see through the incredible works of our pregnancy help organizations, parish programs like Walking with Moms in Need and our Catholic hospitals.
Too Extreme. The bottom line is that this dangerous, deceptive and demeaning proposal is too extreme for Nebraskans and must be opposed and defeated.
Take Action. Nebraskans will almost inevitably vote on this amendment come Election Day, November 5. While this date seems far off into the distance, it will be here before we know it. And we must begin undertaking efforts immediately. Every day that passes us by is another missed opportunity for educating Catholics and the general public about the problems of this pro-abortion proposal.
For now, we urge four key action items. Start talking to 3-5 people per week about why this abortion proposal is bad for Nebraska. Reach out to the Nebraska Catholic Conference and talk to us about coming to your parish for a presentation so we can educate your community. Commit to increased prayer and fasting for the defeat of this ballot initiative. Visit www.NEcatholic.org to join our network, learn more and find additional resources to defeat this effort.
Let’s not wake up on November 6 thinking about the “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” moments that passed us by. Let’s wake up on November 6 knowing that we did everything in our power to value life in the Good Life!
Tom Venzor is executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, with headquarters in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.