Nebraska Legislature votes to fold abortion ban into bill banning trans health care for minors

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conservatives in the Nebraska Legislature have gotten just enough votes to fold a proposed 12-week abortion ban into a bill that would ban gender-affirming health for minors. As expected, the debate Tuesday over the plan was raucous, with lawmakers opposed to the plan sparring with Republican Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, who presided over the Legislature, and accusing him of trashing legislative rules to help push through the plan. The quarreling stretched what was supposed to be a two-hour process to six hours before a vote to end debate won the 33 votes it needed to set up other votes to advance the plan. The merged bill must now survive another round of voting to pass.