Ready to fight special session, women's advocates speak out

NEBRASKA --  Women's advocates are emphasizing that abortion is still legal and that they plan to fight back if a special session is called in Nebraska. 

"Nothing is set in stone," emphasized Director for Policy, Erin Feichtinger of Omaha Women's Fund, Wednesday. "This is not a situation where we'll let things slide."

Currently, Nebraska allows abortion before 22 weeks of gestation. The "trigger bill" in Nebraska would have made it entirely illegal if and when Roe v. Wade is overturned, but this was stopped by a force of senators, the ACLU, I Be Black Girl, Planned Parenthood, and the Omaha Women's Fund among others. 

However, it could be reconsidered in a special session.

“If the court overturns Roe and Casey, and Nebraska reclaims its constitutional ability to prohibit abortion, I will work with the governor to schedule a special session to protect the unborn,” Speaker Mike Hilgers said in a statement, Tuesday. 

The "trigger bill," LB 933, failed by two votes. 

The issue is being highlighted after a draft of a preliminary opinion from the Supreme Court leaked Monday night revealed how the Supreme Court planned to overturn the 1973 Roe V. Wade decision in June.

A number of people gathered at Omaha City Hall to protest the ideas in the draft, Tuesday. 

A 2014 study by Pew Research resulted in the statistic that exactly half of Nebraskans believe abortion should be legal in all decisions. The ACLU of Nebraska released a poll in March of this year -- showing that a majority of Nebraskans opposed abortion bans. 

"This impacts [all] people. This impacts families," Feichtinger said. "I think Nebraskans know a ban is extreme."