If the Supreme Court proceeds with its plan to repeal Roe v. Wade, Nebraska’s Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, stated on Sunday that he will convene a special session of his state’s legislature to pass a total ban on abortion.
“Nebraska is a pro-life state,” Ricketts continued. “I believe life begins at conception, and those fetuses are humans as well. If Roe v. Wade—a terrible constitutional choice—is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which we’re hoping for in Nebraska, we’ll take further measures to safeguard those preborn children.”
CNN reported that Bash then asked, “Including in the case of incest or rape?”
To which Ricketts responded, “They are still human, too. Yes.”
“If Roe gets reversed,” Ricketts added, “I will take action with our House speaker of the assembly to schedule a special session and do more to protect unborn babies. Before we can take further action, we will have to find out what it is, but that would be my aim.”
More than a dozen states, according to reports, presently have what are known as “trigger laws” on the books, meaning that if Roe v. Wade is reversed, these states will be prepared to outlaw abortion within their borders preemptively.
The unicameral legislature of Nebraska failed to pass a bill last month that would have prohibited abortions without exceptions for rape and incest, as well as penalties for physicians who perform them in the state.
Ricketts, on the other hand, stated that he thinks each state has the right and duty to pass legislation that reflects the desires of its people.
“At the end of the day, I believe that voters in the states and it’s certainly true here in Nebraska, they make their own decisions,” he said. “People from outside the state may have an impact, but at the end of the day, Nebraskans look to themselves and made a decision for their state.”
On Saturday, Planned Parenthood, the Women’s March, and other pro-abortion groups organized more than 400 “Bans off Our Bodies” protests across the country.
Organizers of the protests said that if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it will signal the start of a “summer of rage.”
Despite the widespread demonstrations, according to a recent poll conducted by CNN, Republican voters are more prepared than Democratic voters for higher turnout during the upcoming midterm elections.
