Abortion fight returning to State Capitol
That would be State Sen. Merv Riepe who tells NCN he is not changing political parties.
Nebraska’s ongoing battle over abortion returns to the halls of the State Capitol this week.
A public hearing is scheduled Thursday on a bill aimed at protecting doctors who perform legally borderline abortions from prosecution.
The lawmaker leading the charge, the same Republican State Senator who is under fire for his vote last year, which kept the state from enacting a 6-week abortion ban.
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As we first reported, State Sen. Merv Riepe has become, quite literally, the poster boy over the abortion battle in Nebraska.
A billboard in the middle of his Ralston-Millard district telling him to resign because he was the key vote last year in enacting a 12-week-abortion ban stopping a stricter six-week ban.
But Riepe’s not budging.
Joe Jordan, NCN: “Are you resigning?
State Sen. Merv Riepe: “No.”
Jordan: “Why not?”
Sen. Riepe: “Well the Legislature is where the action is. There is no reason why I would resign over one vote, which I felt was the right vote at that right time. I felt strongly about that vote I have no regrets about that vote.”
Not only is he not resigning, Riepe’s once again putting abortion in the spotlight.
Specifically, he’s pushing a bill protecting doctors who perform legally borderline abortions from prosecution.
Sen. Riepe: “I don’t mean protect them beyond a 12-week for an illegal abortion, but the one that’s allowed, and they feel safe and comfortable in making their professional judgement.”
Pro-life groups argue Riepe’s bill, “Targets babies with disabilities.”
Nebraska Right to Life Executive Director Sandy Danek says, “Whether born or not yet born, we should celebrate people with different abilities and fiercely guard against any attempt to strip away their right to live and ability to receive proper medical care.”
Last year Gov. Jim Pillen, who backed the six-week ban, told me talk of doctors being prosecuted is a farce.
NCN’s Joe Jordan: “Governor, on the new 12-week abortion ban, can you guarantee that doctors who perform those so-called “contested abortions” will not be criminally prosecuted?”
Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraska (R): “Yea, yea again you know it's the far left trying to create nothing but fear in the conversation. We’ve had a 10-year bill at 20 weeks and there's never one case.”
Last summer, without naming Riepe, Gov. Pillen, according to the Nebraska Examiner, told folks in Holdrege that Pillen’s six-week abortion ban, “got nicked by one person caving in to pressure.”
By the way the Governor’s claim that this is all about the “far left,” well Riepe’s a Republican.
Jordan: “Ever consider changing parties?”
Sen. Riepe: “No. I wouldn’t consider myself a strict platform Republican. Now they won’t like to hear that. You have to vote what you think your voters are thinking. The reason we’re elected is to represent our district. Now if I lived out in western Nebraska, which is more conservative more Republican, then I would probably lean to what my voters wanted.”
But not when it comes to the lightning rod issue of abortion.
Jordan: “If you lived in a conservative district would it have changed your vote?
Sen. Riepe: “No.”
As for the group behind the billboard, it’s Students for Life Action. According to its website, the Virginia based operation which claims to be on 1,400 campuses across the country, has an on-line petition drive in the works looking for sign-ups demanding Riepe’s resignation.
NCN has asked the group how many members they have in Nebraska, they tell us “25 groups.” They won’t tell us how many have signed the petition or how much money they’ve spent to try and oust Riepe.
NCN has asked Pillen if Riepe should resign but we’ve gotten no response.