A legislative committee hearing at the State Capitol on a possible Nebraska heartbeat abortion ban brings big crowds and hours of testimony from both sides.
"This is not about changing the way doctors care for their patients" said Nate Grasz, who supports the proposal. "This is about elective abortion, and whether or not we will protect the lives of innocent and defenseless childen, who have heartbeats."
But, Dr. Mary Kinyoun, a Nebraska obstetrician, says many women don't know they're pregnant by six weeks, when the proposal would ban abortions.
"The vast majority of women in our area, eight weeks is the first time you see a doctor; a regular healthy patient, that's not having symptoms, between eight to ten weeks."
The bill would make an exception for sexual assault, incest, or a medical emergency.
The unicameral Health and Human Services Committee will decide whether to move the Heartbeat Act forward to the full Legislature for debate.
(Picture from Nebraska State Government)