Julie Schmit-Albin, Executive Director of Nebraska Right to Life, was like the rest of us in waiting for the pro-abortion lobby to try and use the courts to derail LB 1103, Nebraska's Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would otherwise go into effect today. As the law was written in such a way that opponents would look quite obscurantist and cruel in fighting it, that hasn't happened. And so Julie sent out the following press release this morning.NEBRASKA BREAKS NEW GROUND IN ABORTION LAW WITH ENACTMENT OF LB 1103, PAIN CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT
LINCOLN----LB 1103, Nebraska's ban on abortions of unborn babies who are capable of feeling pain at 20 weeks' gestation, appears to be going into effect on its enactment date today.
"While LB 1103 was going through the Nebraska Legislature last Spring, abortion adovcates asserted that a legal challenge was forthcoming." said Julie Schmit-Albin, Executive Director of Nebraska Right to Life. "Apparently cooler heads prevailed over the summer as our adversaries think twice about bringing higher Court scrutiny of LB 1103. They can't risk taking Nebraska's fetal pain ban all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, for fear that the new line of demarcation for abortion under Roe will be pain instead of viabilty."
LB 1103 was Nebraska Right to Life's priority legislation for the 2010 legislative session and they worked closely with Speaker Mike Flood, sponsor, to ensure its passage.
"The legislative record for LB 1103 is solid, in both committee testimony and floor debate." said Schmit-Albin. "If our opponents ultimately challenge the legislation, they are going to have a very difficult time refuting the documented medical studies which show unborn children experience pain by 20 weeks gestation."
Schmit-Albin said NRL has been contacted by a number of other state affiliates of National Right to Life which want to enact a fetal pain ban in their states.
"The issue of fetal pain is going to be discussed on a national stage through many State Legislatures." said Schmit-Albin. "It's a debate our opponents are dreading. They never saw LB 1103 coming, they couldn't stop it and now they know America will be talking about the pain that unborn babies feel during abortion. The abortion industry is in a world of hurt on the fetal pain issue and they haven't found a way to handle this debate."
Julie and her team deserve our undying gratitude for the work they put into this momentous legislation as do Speaker Flood, the State Senators who championed it and enlightened pro-life citizens across the state who promoted it and prayed for its passage.
Certainly, our prayers and pro-life efforts on every front must continue apace but this is a very important step forward in dismantling the protections of legalized abortion.
