Republican Defends Killing Nebraska Bill to Protect Babies From Abortion: “I Don’t Want to be Mean”

A Nebraska Republican lawmaker is defending against killing an abortion ban that would protect babies with beating hearts.

Nebraska could have been the next state to protect babies from abortions if not for a hardline Republican who sold unborn children.

Republican Sen. Merv Riepe cosponsored the measure to protect babies from abortion when their heartbeats could be detected, but yesterday he abstained from voting on the measure. That allowed a Democrat filibuster of the bill to prevail — making it so that thousands of babies will continue to be killed in abortions until the legislature tries again next year.

Now he defends killing the pro-life bill and allows the babies to be killed for another year, saying he doesn’t “want to be evil.” Riepe said it should come as no surprise when he showed signs of reversing the 6-week abortion ban he championed.

“I submitted an amendment that went to 12 weeks two or three weeks ago so they had some indication that this guy, this Riepe, had other thoughts on his mind,” Riepe said.

“I’ve gotten some, you know, stated things that are very personal and sometimes hateful.”

Sen. Riepe is also under pressure from Gov. Pillen and other political organizations to change his mind and change his vote.

“You know I talked to the governor and I didn’t change it for him, so I don’t know why I have to change it for anyone else.”

ACTION ALERT: To contact Merv Riepe to file a complaint, call (402) 471-2623 or Email: [email protected]

Sen. said. Riepe, a hospital administrator, said he spoke with multiple doctors before making his change from the 6-week to 12-week abortion ban.

“I still stand by the idea that 12-weeks makes more sense to me than going with the almost no-abortion ban of 6 weeks. “And so I’ve paid your price, coming back I’m probably hated by both side then sure.”

Despite what some say, Riepe says he is still pro-life and a Republican.

Apparently Kemp wasn’t much of a hero to Riepe because the lawmaker didn’t know Kemp was staunchly pro-life and sponsored legislation to protect babies from abortion.

Riepe filed an amendment to the bill to allow the killing of babies in abortions up to 12 weeks, which would have neutralized most of the pro-life protections.

To ensure passage and protect women in very rare situations, the bill already includes exceptions for cases of rape, incest and medical emergencies that threaten the life of the mother, making specific exceptions for ectopic pregnancy, IVF procedures, and allowing the removal of a fetus that has died in the womb.

The bill’s author, Thurston Sen. Joni Albrecht rejected that argument, saying the bill already accounts for the rare situation that is possible but still allows abortions to be banned when used as birth control.

“It’s just not necessary,” Albrecht said.

He said the 6-week bill was a compromise from his original law that better protected babies from conception.

“This bill is about one thing,” he said. “It protects babies with beating hearts from elective abortion.”

Last year’s bill fell two short and pro-life advocates in Nebraska had to work hard to get another vote.

Currently, abortion for any reason is legal up to 20 weeks in Nebraska. In 2021, 2,360 unborn babies were aborted and nearly two-thirds exceeded six weeks of gestation, according to the state health department.

Earlier in the month, hundreds of people participated in a pro-life rally outside the state Capitol, calling on lawmakers to protect unborn babies from abortion. Speaking to the crowd, Gov. expressed hope. Jim Pillen that unborn babies will soon be protected in their state.

“The most important time and privilege for me as your governor is that we get this to the finish line, and now is the beginning,” Pillen said.

A WPA Intelligence January poll found 58 percent of Nebraskans support protecting an unborn baby with a beating heart from abortion.

The pro-life legislation also has the support of the Nebraska Family Alliance, doctors and medical professionals.

In a hearing earlier this year, Dr. Robert Bonebrake, an OB-GYN and maternal fetal specialist, told lawmakers that the heartbeat bill protects the lives of mothers and unborn babies, and does not prevent doctors from treating mothers with pregnancy complications, according to the Unicameral Update.

“LB626 lays out clear standards for protecting a woman’s life and health,” Bonebrake said. “Any physician who provides the best medical practice is safe under this framework.”

Because the US Supreme Court was overruled Roe v. Wade as of June, 14 states have now enacted pro-life laws that ban or severely limit the killing of unborn babies in abortions, and others are fighting in court to do the same. Along with Nebraska, lawmakers in Florida are also debating heartbeat legislation this month.

New data this week show thousands of unborn babies were saved from abortion in the first five months after the June decision.

ACTION ALERT: To contact Merv Riepe to file a complaint, call (402) 471-2623 or Email: [email protected]