LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Finances were formally on the agenda for the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, but for more than the first hour of the 79th days in session, senators vented about and debated the approach to LB 574 that happened Tuesday.
An amendment banning abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy was added to a bill limiting transgender care for Nebraskans under the age of 19. The amendment was proposed after another bill restricting abortion failed in the Unicameral.
"Our rules which require bills to be introduced within the first ten days, and be subject to public hearing, absolutely did not happen,” said Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. “If 626 is dead, the amendment you adopted yesterday is a new matter, in regards to abortion policy, it was not introduced as a bill, it was not subject to public hearing."
Speaker of the Legislature John Arch of La Vista took issue with senators' qualms about rules and process.
"I'm not speaking to anybody in particular in this body. But that's the challenge that falls on me — is the consistent use of rules. So, to those people who are standing up today and yesterday and saying we just change the rules anytime we want to change them — Not true,” said Arch.
The motion to overrule the Chair failed with seven senators voting in favor to overrule and 33 voting against.
The final reading and vote on LB 574 has yet to be scheduled.
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