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The Nebraska legislature has passed a bill restricting both abortion and gender-transition treatment for minors, sending the measure to the governor after a contentious seven-hour session interrupted by raucous left-wing protesters.
The unicameral body voted 33-15-1 Friday to approve Legislative Bill 574, which lowers the gestational age for most abortions from 20 to 12 weeks and prohibits gender-transition surgeries for those under 19.
The abortion issue was seen as moribund after the defeat last month of a heartbeat bill, which would have banned most abortions after six weeks. But the legislature circled back with a 12-week compromise that garnered just enough votes to avoid a filibuster.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, congratulated the legislature after the measure’s passage.
“All children deserve a chance to grow and live happy, fruitful lives,” Mr. Pillen said. “This includes pre-born boys and girls, and it includes children struggling with their gender identity. These kids deserve the opportunity to grow and explore who they are and want to be, and they can do so without making irreversible decisions that should be made when they are fully grown.”
The abortion provision was added to the Let Them Grow Act, which bans gender-transition surgical procedures for patients under 19. Limits on puberty blockers and hormones would be decided by the state’s chief medical officer, a position appointed by the governor that is currently vacant.
