Abortion bill amendment limits procedure at 12 weeks instead of 6
By Alex McLoon
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LINCOLN, Nebraska (KETV) — An amendment to an abortion bill limits procedures to 12 weeks instead of six weeks.
State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston filed the amendment Tuesday morning. He says he’s thought about how women know little about their pregnancies at six weeks.
“My concern with the six-week (ban) is, by the time a woman who may or may not have regular menstrual cycles, she may or may not know whether she’s pregnant at six weeks,” Sen. Riepe said.
Concerned about pregnant people, the senator says he’s still keeping his name on State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s Heartbeat Act, which she introduced in January.
Democratic Sen. Megan Hunt put the Unicameral on notice Tuesday about Riepe’s amendment.
“My reading of the amendment — it doesn’t have an exception for rape or incest. But I have to — I just started reading it. So we’ll see what’s going on with that,” Hunt said.
“And the second (concern) I have is, if it’s in the loophole that says if it’s a rape, I don’t want them in a consensual relationship in order to get the abortion. They claim it was a rape, and the male may face some criminal charges,” Riepe said.
The Ralston senator says 12 weeks is a more reasonable approach. He says his intent is to get the amendment to the second round of debate in select file — a step that reopens the door for amendment, potential compromise and reflection.
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