The 106th Legislature convened on Wednesday, January 9th and it has been wonderful to be back with my colleagues and great to welcome the new senators. I will serve on the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee along with continuing to serve on the Natural Resources Committee for the next two years. Telecommunications and internet access in rural Nebraska, including District 17, is an important issue that I look forward to addressing in the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.

Governor Pete Ricketts officially recognized January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. At the proclamation signing, I joined Governor Ricketts and First Lady Susanne Shore, along with Attorney General Doug Peterson, State Senators, members of the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force, and non-profit organizations. Nebraska continues to be a leader in raising awareness and making progress towards ending human trafficking in our state and around the nation. In recent years, we have strengthened human trafficking laws and the Attorney General’s office has provided training to law enforcement across the state. The Attorney General’s Office also provides awareness posters for the public. We encourage Nebraskans to learn the signs of trafficking and to report concerns of trafficking to the Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888).

On January 11th, I proudly introduced a pro-woman, pro-information, pro-life, and pro-choice bill that will benefit all women who, after beginning the abortion pill process, want a second chance at choice. LB 209 would add a new section to Nebraska’s informed consent law to include information to help women access the abortion pill reversal process. The legislation simply requires that when a woman walks into an abortion facility, she must be given all the information she needs to make a truly informed choice about her pregnancy, including the information she needs to find help and reversal treatment if she happens to change her mind after taking the abortion pill mifepristone. In Nebraska, 55% of abortions are so-called “medication” abortions – those caused by abortion-inducing drugs. Recent studies have demonstrated it is possible to greatly increase the chance that a mother can save her baby if she begins a standardized abortion pill reversal protocol soon after ingesting the abortion pill, but only if she knows it is possible and where she can find medical help. Rebekah Buell Hagan, a brave mom who saved her child through the abortion pill reversal process and Teresa Kenney, nurse practitioner and administrator of the process, joined me at a press conference Friday morning to discuss the importance of LB 209.

It is of great importance that I hear from my constituents to effectively do my job as your voice in the Legislature. I encourage my constituents to reach out to me and I look forward to hearing from you.

402-471-2716

jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov

Senator Joni Albrecht

State Capitol, Room 1404

PO Box 94604

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-4604