Nebraska lawmakers advance bill to vastly restrict abortion

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have advanced a bill that would ban abortion once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo. That generally occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy. But the effort to effectively ban abortions in the Republican-controlled state remains in question, as it must survive two more rounds of debate. Yet to be considered is an amendment introduced by a Republican co-signer to the bill that would extend the proposed ban to 12 weeks. That signals that a ban set very early in pregnancy could face pushback. Nebraska anti-abortion advocates have watched in frustration as other GOP-controlled states have moved quickly to restrict abortion access since the fall of Roe v. Wade.