Posted on 04/30/2023 8:35:49 AM PDT by Morgana
A Nebraska Republican lawmaker is defending killing an abortion ban that would protect babies with beating hearts.
Nebraska could have been the next state to protect babies from abortions if not for a recalcitrant Republicans who sold out unborn children.
Republican Sen. Merv Riepe had cosponsored the measure to protect babies from abortion when their heartbeat can be detected, but yesterday he abstained from voting on the measure. That allowed a Democrat filibuster of the bill to prevail – making it so thousands of babies will continue to be killed in abortions until the legislature can try again next year.
Today he defending killing the pro-life bill and allowing babies to be killed for another year, claiming he didn’t “want to be mean.” Riepe says it shouldn’t have been a surprise when he showed signs of changing a 6-week abortion ban that he co-sponsored
“I submitted an amendment that went to 12 weeks two or three weeks earlier so they had some indication that this guy, this Riepe, had some other thoughts at least on his mind,” Riepe said.
“I’ve gotten some, you know, stated things that are very personal and somewhat at times hateful.”
Sen. Riepe also has been under pressure from Gov. Pillen and other political organizations to change his mind and change his vote.
“You know I’ve talked with the governor and I didn’t change it for him, so I don’t know why I should change it for anyone else.”
ACTION ALERT: To contact Merv Riepe to complain, call (402) 471-2623 or Email: mriepe@leg.ne.gov
Sen. Riepe, a hospital administrator, says he talked to many doctors before making his amendment from a 6-week to a 12-week abortion ban.
“I still stand with the idea that the 12-week makes more sense to me than going to this almost no abortions in the ban of the 6 weeks. “And so I’ve already paid the price of you know, going back I would probably be hated by both sides then for sure.”
Despite what some are saying, Riepe says he is still pro-life and still a Republican.
Apparently Kemp isn’t much of a hero to Riepe because the legislator doesn’t know that Kemp was solidly pro-life and sponsored legislation to protect babies from abortion.
Riepe filed an amendment to the bill to allow killing babies in abortions up to 12 weeks, which would have neutralized most of the pro-life protections.
To secure passage and protect women in very rare situations, the bill already included exceptions for cases of rape, incest and medical emergencies that threaten the life of the mother, making specific exceptions for ectopic pregnancies, IVF procedures, and allowing for the removal of a fetus that has died in the womb.
The bill’s author, Thurston Sen. Joni Albrecht rejected that argument, saying the bill already accounted for very rare situation possible but still allowing abortions to be banned when used as birth control.
“This is simply not necessary,” Albrecht said.
She said the 6-week bill was already a compromise from her original legislation that more properly protected babies starting at conception.
“This bill is about one thing,” she said. “It’s protecting babies with beating hearts from elective abortion.”
Last year’s bill fell two short and pro-life advocates in Nebraska will need to work hard to obtain another vote.
Currently, abortion is legal for any reason up to 20 weeks in Nebraska. In 2021, 2,360 unborn babies were aborted and nearly two thirds were later than six weeks of pregnancy, according to the state health department.
Earlier in the month, hundreds of people participated in a pro-life rally outside the state Capitol, calling on lawmakers to protect unborn babies from abortion. Speaking to the crowd, Gov. Jim Pillen expressed hope that unborn babies soon will be protected in their state.
“The most important time and privilege for me as your governor is that we get this across the finish line, and today is the start,” Pillen said.
A January poll by WPA Intelligence found 58 percent of Nebraskans support protecting an unborn baby with a beating heart from abortion.
The pro-life legislation also has the support of the Nebraska Family Alliance, doctors and medical professionals.
During a hearing earlier this year, Dr. Robert Bonebrake, an OB-GYN and maternal fetal specialist, told lawmakers that the heartbeat bill protects both mothers’ and unborn babies’ lives, and does not hinder doctors from treating mothers with pregnancy complications, according to the Unicameral Update.
“LB626 lays out the clear standard for protecting a woman’s life and health,” Bonebrake said. “Any physician providing best medical practice is safe under this framework.”
Because the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, 14 states now are enforcing pro-life laws that prohibit or strictly limit the killing of unborn babies in abortions, and others are fighting in court to do the same. Along with Nebraska, Florida lawmakers also are debating heartbeat legislation this month.
New data this week shows tens of thousands of unborn babies were saved from abortion in the first five months after the June ruling.
ACTION ALERT: To contact Merv Riepe to complain, call (402) 471-2623 or Email: mriepe@leg.ne.gov
ACTION ALERT: To contact Merv Riepe to complain, call (402) 471-2623 or Email: mriepe@leg.ne.gov
Disgusting.
Their religion is “It’s nice to be nice.” But why are they always “nice” to evil?
Sounds like he has become compromised in some fashion. Then the leverage was applied.
Merv has the spine of jello,,,,,he believes in killing defenseless American Babies.
Sounds like he’s just a sell-out
Dances with EVIL!
Merv, that was very thoughtful on behalf of defenseless babies.
claiming he didn’t “want to be mean.”
Mean? You’re REALLY going to think Jesus Christ is mean when He sends you straight to HELL for not standing up for innocent, defenseless unborn babies!
the GOP and their companies traffic
in children, women, their organs,
and adrenochrome.
the GOP and DNC are the evil
that stole an election and sold out the Republic.
We are called by Christ to defend life at all stages from womb until physical death.
I shake my head when I read these kinds of articles where people just "don't want to be mean" ... well, what's meaner than killing an unborn child?!
What sort of messed up morality allows that?!
Well, Merv, if you don’t stand for sh-, than you’re not worth sh-!
Amen!!!!
I am still Pro-Life on Abortion among other things even though I’m not in the Republican political circles anymore.
As an member of the “Religious Right” and as a “Religious Hypocrite” I have to confess my selfish lustful approach to others looking at women the wrong way and so on was not good.
It sent the sexual message to them.
I don’t know if they ended up in sexual situations that led to Abortions but even without engaging in literal sexual activity with these women I fornicated with them in my heart.
When it comes to Abortion I will admit what I see as my role in leading women towards situations where they got pregnant and may have ended up considering Abortions.
All that being said the killing of the unborn child does not help or heal or deal with the wrongs that led to it.
Abortion just another bad action in a series of bad actions by human beings including myself most important of all.
Maybe Merv would be better to see things this way and vote the right way on this issue having publicly confessed his own faults which I can’t for him.
How do you people not see that the MSM has been given marching orders to keep this issue on the front page, because the DNC focus groups tell them it wins votes.
Or rather, prevents the loss of votes of women who would otherwise be enraged that biological women are denied the chance to compete athletically only against biological women.
THAT WINS VOTES. THAT SLICES OFF CHUNKS OF WOMEN VOTERS FROM DEMS.
The Dems know this. They put abortion back on the front pages with MSM help. Why are you participating?
No, don’t get all moralistic. All that has already been talked about 6 ways up and down. No opinions are going to be changed.
But trans athletics robs young ladies of athletic scholarships. This is an OBVIOUS winning issue and could slice of 5% of the women’s vote. The GOP should talk of nothing else.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Basing one's commitment to priniciples on political calculation, standard operating procedure among politicians and unelected bureaucrats, is nothing short of dishonorable ... and in so doing Merv Riepe has dishonored his family's good name.
He didn’t want to be mean???? SO, allowing babies to be murdered is NOT ‘mean’??????????? WTH????????
Blackmail is a dirty thing. He’s compromised.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.