Nebraska lawmakers to debate attaching 12-week abortion ban to trans youth health care ban

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are set to take up debate late Tuesday on a plan that would tack on a proposed 12-week abortion ban to a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The combination of the two highly contentious measures sets up what could be one of the most volatile debates of the session.

Technically, lawmakers are slated to take up the final round of debate on the trans health bill, which has already advanced from the first two of three rounds it must survive to pass and go to Gov. Jim Pillen's desk. But because legislative rules don't allow amendments to be attached to bills in the final round, lawmakers will debate whether to send the bill back for a second round of debate in order to add the abortion amendment to it.

Opponents of the move plan to filibuster for the entire two hours of debate allowed in the final reading of a bill. Conservatives in the unique single-chamber, officially nonpartisan legislature will need 33 of the body's 49 senators to vote to end debate before the plan to merge the two issues can move forward. If they fail, both the abortion and trans health measures will be shelved for the year.

Conservatives were stung last month when their bill to ban abortion after cardiac activity can be detected — which happens around six weeks of pregnancy, before most women even know they're pregnant — failed to break a filibuster by a single vote.

Normally, the issue would be considered tabled for the remainder of the session. But last week, anti-abortion lawmakers sought to resurrect it by crafting a proposal to ban abortion at 12 weeks and attaching it to the trans bill.

Conservatives see the 12-week amendment as a compromise they believe could get the 33 votes they need to see it to the finish line....