In a recent interview with CNN, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts said calling lawmakers back into special session “would certainly be my intention” if the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Today’s ruling by the high court, which ends 49 years of national abortion rights and turns those decisions back to the states, puts Ricketts’ “intention” on center stage.

But it also clearly leaves open the possibility of no special session, likely based on counting noses and the not unlikely inability to gather at least 33 votes; the number needed to end an expected pro-choice filibuster.

Two months ago, pro-life forces could only manage 31 votes as they pushed for a “trigger bill” which would have outlawed abortion in Nebraska when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

One of the two remaining votes needed, would have presumably come from Omaha’s Rich Pahls, who was ill and unable to vote.

Pahls has since died, with Ricketts recently appointing pro-life Kathleen Kauth to succeed Pahls, but that still leaves Ricketts one vote short, with two lawmakers in the unannounced category.

First there’s Omaha’s Steve Lathrop, who has decided not to run for re-election and leaves office at the end of the year.

Lathrop voted against the trigger-bill in committee but did not vote one way or the other to end the filibuster. Come time for a special session, it’s not clear how Lathrop would vote.

Unknown vote number two belongs to Omaha’s Justin Wayne, who also did not vote on the trigger-bill and has not responded to a request for comment on how he’d vote if called back to Lincoln.

Looking at the numbers, State Sen. Tom Brewer, a pro-life Republican from Gordon, told KFAB Radio on Tuesday that when it comes to the special session, "I don't have confidence it's going to happen right now."