Nebraska conservatives gamble on combining abortion, trans health bans

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conservative Nebraska lawmakers are taking what could be an all-or-nothing bet by proposing to merge two of the legislative session’s most contentious proposals — one to restrict abortion access and another that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. The unconventional move follows the failure by one vote last month to advance a bill that would have banned abortion at around six weeks of pregnancy. Now, conservatives are backing an effort to amend the transgender health bill to include restricting abortion to 12 weeks of gestation. The strategy sets up a vote on Tuesday that could give conservatives a win on both abortion and trans health bans — or could see them lose both.