February 25, 2022

Thursday, February 24^th was “Pro-Life Legislative Day” at the Capitol. This event was sponsored by Nebraska Right to Life. Many people from across the state who value life came to meet with their state senators and to show their support for three pro-life bills heard before the Judiciary Committee. I am an ardent supporter of the pro-life movement, and was able to address the group at their morning gathering at the Cornhusker Hotel. Joining me were State Senators Joni Albrecht of Thurston, Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, and Julie Slama of Peru, as well as Lt. Governor Mike Foley, a champion for life in our state. The three senators each spoke about their pending life-affirming bills, and I spoke about my bill, LB 963, which calls for the adoption of the “Medical Ethics and Diversity Act.”

Senator Slama’s LB 781, dubbed the “Heartbeat Act,” would require that an ultrasound be performed before any abortion is attempted to determine whether a fetal heartbeat is detectable. If a fetal heartbeat is detected, LB781 would make it illegal to perform an abortion.

LB 933, introduced by Senator Albrecht, is called the “Nebraska Human Life Protection Act.” LB 933 would prohibit the performance of an abortion on live, unborn children upon the occurrence of one of three events: the overturn of Roe v. Wade, an amendment to the United States Constitution, or the passage of enabling legislation by the United States Congress. LB 933 would provide for criminal penalties for any physician who performs an abortion, but allows for medical interventions that are necessary to preserve the life of the mother. The purpose of LB 933 is to protect and promote society’s respect for human life, including the life of the unborn.

Finally, LB 1086 from Senator Geist presents the “Adopt the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act”. LB 1086 would provide for safety regulations of chemical abortion (sometimes called ‘medication’ or ‘medical’ abortion) procedures to protect women from serious adverse health consequences. These regulations include in-person screening of the woman before dispensing abortion-inducing drugs and follow-up after abortion to ensure treatment for serious complications and accurate reporting. LB 1086 would also prohibit the sending of abortion-inducing drugs through the mail.

My bill, LB 963, is the “Medical Ethics and Diversity Act” (MED Act). The intent of the MED Act is to protect freedom of conscience within the medical profession (e.g. doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists). This would allow a person to live out their faith in their profession and not be required to participate in medical procedures (e.g. abortion, gender reassignment) that legitimately violate their religious or moral beliefs. I believe this could ultimately increase the number of students pursuing medical careers, because it removes a possible personal barrier to them seeking a future in medicine.

Unfortunately, there were also some disturbing bills heard on Thursday before the Health and Human Services Committee, of which I am a member.

• LB 1129 from Senator Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, would provide free contraceptives to any person who requests and needs such contraception. Contraceptives would be distributed through Title X clinics, family planning clinics, public health clinics, hospitals and pharmacies. The costs of these contraceptives would be covered through general fund appropriations. “General fund appropriations” means that your tax dollars would help fund this legislation should it be adopted.
• LB 716 from Senator Megan Hunt is even more disturbing. LB 716 would authorize qualified advance practice registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants to perform abortions in Nebraska. Currently, only physicians are authorized.

Nebraska is an overwhelmingly pro-life state, no matter what you hear from abortion proponents. As long as I am a state senator, I will fight for and introduce bills that protect and preserve life in our state, at every stage of life. I will also oppose any legislation that seeks to expand life-ending procedures in our state.

I welcome any comments, questions, or ideas you may have on this or any other issue.  Please feel free to email me at dmurman@leg.ne.gov or call my office at 402-471-2732.