Nebraska bill protects children in the womb and afterward

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Protesters in favor of LB574 gather in a prayer circle to pray out in the capitol rotunda during a final reading on LB574, the Let Them Grow Act, on Tuesday at the State Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. Associated Press/Photo by Kenneth Ferriera, Lincoln Journal Star

Nebraska bill protects children in the womb and afterward

The Nebraska Legislature passed a bill on Friday to protect children under the age of 19 from transgender surgeries and unborn babies after 12 weeks of gestation from abortion. Conservative lawmakers added the pro-life provision to the original Let Them Grow Act after a previous heartbeat bill failed last month. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen has pledged to sign the bill.

Does the bill only prevent transgender surgeries? No, it also puts Nebraska’s chief medical officer, Timothy Tesmer, in charge of regulating other transgender treatments. The bill requires him to create criteria such as a minimum number of “gender-identity-focused therapeutic hours” for prescribing puberty blockers or other medications. Pillen appointed Tesmer in March.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals on lawmakers trying to pass pro-life legislation in South Carolina.