Lincoln, Neb., Apr 13, 2010 / 15:58 pm
Citing evidence that unborn children feel pain, Nebraska lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill banning abortion at 20 weeks or later. Pro-life organizations welcomed the bill which was signed into law on Tuesday afternoon, saying it is in the best interest of the state to protect unborn children.
"The Nebraska legislature has taken a bold step which should ratchet up the abortion debate across the nation," commented Nebraska Right to Life director Julie Schmit-Albin. "What we didn't know in 1973 in Roe versus Wade ... we know now."
The Nebraska bill was in part intended to shut down Dr. LeRoy Carhart, one of the few late-term abortionists in the U.S.
According to the Associated Press, abortion was permitted in Nebraska based on “viability,” an unborn child’s ability to survive outside the womb. Determined on a case-by-case basis, this occurs at 22 to 24 weeks into gestation.