NDP Chair Jane Kleeb hailed the announcement Monday that there will be no special session of the Nebraska Legislature to consider abortion legislation.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said that Speaker Mike Hilgers informed him 30 state senators agreed to return to the Capitol for a special session — short of the 33 needed to break a filibuster on any abortion-related legislation.
“This is good news, but we must remain vigilant when the regular session convenes in January,” Kleeb said. “Poll after poll has shown that a majority of Nebraskas support abortion rights. But there are radical Republican senators that will keep trying to erode reproductive rights.
“The majority of Nebraskans support keeping access to abortion legal. Governor Ricketts and his radical Republicans do not have the votes to further infringe on our privacy and rights to make our own health decisions,” Chair Kleeb said. “Voters have an opportunity to defend legal access to abortion at the polls this November by electing more Democrats to the Legislature, Congress and the governor’s office.”
Lawmakers were widely expected to call a special session after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Roe v. Wade decision in June, which opened the door for legislatures to ban abortions.
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