Nate Grasz, executive director of Nebraska Family Alliance, says LB 669 to change requirements for voluntary and informed consent and civil actions relating to abortion came up two votes short after two pro-choice senators filibustered and blocked what amounts to commonsense protections.
He says this was about standing with abused and exploited women, but too many senators relied on misinformation and sided with the abortion lobby that is profiting off them. Not a single Democrat voted in support of this anti-trafficking measure, and some even refused to cast a vote.
"This is one of the most disappointing and shameful votes that I've seen in the Nebraska Legislature," he tells AFN.
The measure simply said that before carrying out a life-ending procedure, abortion clinics need to properly screen a woman seeking abortion for signs of abuse, domestic violence, or human trafficking and provide her with resources such as the national human trafficking hotline number and the opportunity to make a confidential phone call.
Because the bill failed to advance, Grasz says it is unlikely to get rescheduled during this year's session.
However, Nebraska Family Alliance does not intend this to be the final word.
"We'll be looking for any and every avenue that we can try to attach this bill or amend other legislation to get these important protections and safeguards in place," Grasz asserts, reiterating that this was "a really simple and important bill."
"We're going to keep working; we're going to keep praying and try to find a way forward to ensure that we're better protecting women and children in Nebraska from both the harms of abortion and human trafficking," he tells AFN.
According to Grasz, "abortion and sex trafficking are inextricably linked," and women and children in Nebraska deserve better.
