Nebraska likely to wait for final ruling in abortion case

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts likely won’t decide whether to call a special legislative session focused on abortion until the U.S. Supreme Court releases its official opinion on the issue, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The Republican governor has said Nebraska needs to be ready to outlaw abortion, and he strongly supported a bill this year that would have automatically done so if the high court gives states that option. The bill ultimately failed, however, after opponents blocked it with a filibuster, and it’s questionable whether a special session held this year at extra taxpayer expense would produce a different outcome.

The Legislature will return for a regular session in January with some new lawmakers.

“I don’t anticipate we’ll have a statement on whether we’ll call a special session until the decision is final,” said Ricketts spokeswoman Alex Reuss. “That might change, but I don’t see it changing.”

A draft opinion leaked to Politico suggests that the court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity on Tuesday, but the court stressed that the draft isn’t an official ruling.