Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts Pledges Half a Million to Abortion Ban Initiative

Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts Pledges Half a Million to Abortion Ban Initiative

Date: April 17, 2024 Pete Ricketts

In a significant financial gesture underscoring his unwavering anti-abortion stance, Pete Ricketts, Nebraska’s former governor turned U.S. senator, has donated a substantial $500,000 to the Protect Women and Children committee. This committee is fervently working to enshrine a 12-week abortion ban into the Nebraska state constitution, a move that starkly delineates the growing divide over abortion rights in the state and across the nation. Ricketts’ donation was disclosed through recent filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, positioning him as a leading figure in the pro-life movement within the state.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which Ricketts supports, notably includes provisions for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and when the woman’s life is in medical jeopardy. This nuanced stance marks a discernible shift from Ricketts’ previously more rigid position that did not accommodate exceptions for rape and incest. The initiative, spearheaded by the Protect Women and Children group, now seeks to collect 122,000 valid signatures by July 3 to secure a spot on the November ballot, aiming to fortify Nebraska’s pro-life values at the constitutional level.

This move by Ricketts and the committee is seen as a direct challenge to a concurrent campaign led by abortion rights advocates. The opposing effort is focused on a separate ballot initiative aimed at protecting abortion rights until fetal viability, typically around the 23-24 weeks gestational age mark, a standard that stands in stark contrast to the 12-week threshold proposed by Ricketts and his allies.