February 29, 2024
Last week, students with Students for Life Action (SFLAction) spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Nebraska Statehouse, calling on committee members to vote against LB1109. This law, introduced by Republican Senator Merv Riepe (one of “Biden’s Favorite Republicans”) would allow abortions beyond the state’s 12-week limits in cases of fatal fetal anomalies and remove criminal penalties for doctors who perform an abortion outside of “the exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.”
In their testimonies, SFLAction spoke against this law that would increase the frequency and availability of abortion in Nebraska and reduce accountability for those medical professionals that conduct them.
Below are excerpts from their statements:
Jeremiah Zimmerman, student at Catholic Distance University
“I am here today to ask you all to reject LB1109, which would allow abortions beyond the state’s 12-week limits in cases of fatal fetal anomalies.
But this would be a grave mistake – a New York Times article from June 2023 noted that when prenatal tests screened for rare diseases, their positive results were wrong 80 percent to 93 percent of the time.’
That same article noted that in April 2022 ‘the F.D.A. issued a specific warning about the risks of false positives from noninvasive prenatal tests, instructing doctors not to make suggestions based on these results alone and stressing the need to follow positive screenings with more reliable diagnostic testing.’
Specifically, the article noted that the FDA was ‘aware of reports’ that some women ‘ended pregnancies based only on the results” of these screening tests.’
Wrong 80-93% of the time… that is an abysmal rate of error.
The American College of Pediatricians has said in no uncertain terms that: ‘human life begins at conception—fertilization. At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop.’
This is an undisputable, scientific reality. And all life, regardless of its conception or condition, is sacred and worthy of protection.
Those born with Down syndrome or Trisomy 18 have value and are worthy of the chance to live, no matter how long or short their lives might be.”
Alyssa Moser, student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
“22 years ago, a little girl was the product of an unwanted pregnancy; now, she is speaking before you as a strong, smart, successful human being thanks to the gift of life.
Thanks to adoption agencies and care centers, my biological mother was able to be supported outside of her family situation and formed an adoption plan that placed me with the best parents I could ever ask for. Just two years later, two terrified high school kids found themselves pregnant with a baby boy; their choice to give him life and choose adoption led to my having a little brother.
I cannot even begin to think about what would have happened had our birth mothers chosen to terminate their pregnancies. Why? For the simple reason that my brother and I would not be here. I would not even have gotten a chance to play dress-up with my Barbie dolls, bring my mom bouquets of dandelions, or color my grandpa pictures to hang on his fridge. My brother wouldn’t have gotten to grow up as a John Deere-loving farm kid with his best friends or be the smallest but mightiest player on his T-ball team.
We are two of the lucky ones—but so many children aren’t as fortunate. Too many babies have had the rest of their lives ripped away because of people who refuse to see that abortion is murder. Don’t be the reason any more are lost.”
Isabella Orsi, student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“I am here today to ask you all to reject LB1109 – for the simple fact that it creates more abortion in the state of Nebraska, not less. Because it says that children with genetic conditions are fit only to be aborted. Because it says that doctors that end a human life shouldn’t be held accountable.
Nebraska law prohibits abortions after 12 weeks. Yet, this bill seeks to remove criminal penalties for doctors who violate that law. What purpose could any law serve if an individual could not be held accountable for violating it?
LB1109 operates under the idea that a human being’s life should be ended because its span may be shorter than the average human lifespan. It would be unjust to allow Nebraskans to intentionally end the life of an innocent child still growing in their mother’s womb just because that child is deemed “less than” due to their physical condition. Each human being has the right to live for as long as is naturally possible-whether that be a life as brief as 12 weeks in the womb or as lengthy as 90 years-and it is imperative that this state protects that right.”
The Power of a Vote
A pro-abortion law introduced by a Republican in a Republican controlled state shows the power of what a bad vote can do – and why ensuring that pro-life champions take office is critical. Because of the actions of Senator Riepe, abortion is legal in Nebraska up to 12 weeks, when there could’ve been rigorous Heartbeat protection in place. This is especially disastrous when you consider that more than 9 in 10 abortions will be committed before 12 weeks.
But Alyssa’s statement about her family summarized it very well – that strong pro-life laws give voices to the voices and create a more loving world with more loving and whole families.
That alone is worth fighting for.