Nebraska expected to pass combo bill on abortion, gender-affirming care for minors

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conservative Nebraska lawmakers are expected to have just enough votes to pass a bill Friday that combines a ban on gender-affirming care for minors with a 12-week abortion ban. The mood in the Nebraska Capitol since the hybrid measure was advanced Tuesday by a single vote has been volatile. Lawmakers have traded insults and promises of retribution on the legislative floor, and protesters have shown up to loudly voice their displeasure in the days after vote. The bill needs a supermajority of 33 votes Friday to end debate, after which it can be passed by a simple majority of the body’s 49 lawmakers.