LINCOLN, Neb. – The Protect Women and Children amendment will officially appear on the
ballot this November, following certification by the Nebraska Secretary of State today. Led by the
efforts of more than 1,200 volunteer signature collectors, the initiative collected more than
205,000 signatures in just 97 days.

Protect Women and Children also qualified 86 counties, compared to just 47 qualified by the
Protect the Right to Abortion petition.

The Protect Women and Children initiative allows voters to affirm the current commonsense
limits on abortion, as well as protections for women and children, in our state constitution. The
amendment includes exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother while
protecting children from abortion in the second and third trimesters.

The Protect Women and Children Nebraska Committee is comprised of four medical
professionals: Mark Patefield, Pharm.D., a Laurel pharmacist and member of the Nebraska
State Board of Health; Elizabeth Peterson, R.N.; Jan Kuehn, retired R.N.; Maureen Bausch,
retired R.N.

The committee released the following statement:

“Protect Women and Children’s broad support in collection efforts signifies Nebraskans’
support to protect both women and children. It provides exceptions for rape, incest and
the life of the mother, and protections in the second and third trimester. Voters have the
choice to reject an extreme, activist amendment that invites government intrusion
between a woman and her doctor and paves the way for taxpayer-funded abortions in
favor of this consensus option.”

LINCOLN, Neb. – Only 97 days after launching, the Protect Women and Children Initiative turned in 205,344 signatures from all 93 Nebraska counties. The petition effort was driven by more than 1,200 volunteer signature collectors from across the state. Constitutional ballot measures require the signatures of 10 percent of registered voters, or approximately 123,000 signatures. Ballot measures also require the qualification of 38 counties by collecting signatures from 5% of voters in the county. The submission by Protect Women and Children qualified 91 counties.

The goal of Protect Women and Children was to offer voters a ballot initiative proposing a Nebraska constitutional amendment to safeguard women's health care with clear, commonsense abortion restrictions, and exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother.

"Except when a woman seeks an abortion necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest, unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters."

The Protect Women and Children Nebraska Committee is comprised of four medical professionals: Mark Patefield, Pharm.D., a Laurel pharmacist and member of the Nebraska State Board of Health; Elizabeth Peterson, R.N.; Jan Kuehn, retired R.N.; Maureen Bausch, retired R.N.

The Protect Women and Children Nebraska Committee jointly released the following statement:

"Voters are excited to have a sensible alternative that reflects Nebraskan’s commonsense approach to limits on abortion, protects women's health and relationship with their doctors, and preserves parental notification requirements that save lives and protect vulnerable minors.”

LINCOLN, Neb. – Today, a committee of Nebraska medical professionals launched the Protect Women and Children Initiative, a ballot initiative proposing a Nebraska constitutional amendment to safeguard women's health care with clear, commonsense abortion limits and exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother.

Protect Women and Children has submitted proposed ballot language to Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen. The proposed language is as follows:

“Except when a woman seeks an abortion necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest, unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters.”

The Protect Women and Children Committee is comprised of four medical professionals: Mark Patefield, Pharm.D., a Laurel pharmacist and member of the Nebraska State Board of Health; Elizabeth Peterson, L.P.N.Jan Kuehn, R.N. (retired)and Maureen Bausch, R.N. (retired)

The Protect Women and Children Committee jointly released the following statement:

"The vast majority of Nebraskans support well-defined, commonsense abortion limits after the first trimester of pregnancy, along with exceptions for extreme circumstances, like cases of sexual assault, incest, and medical emergencies. The use of established scientific terms sets clear parameters for women and their physicians, not inviting political interference. That's what the Protect Women and Children Initiative accomplishes.  

"The initiative is in response to the abortion industry's proposed constitutional amendment, which would: 1) subject women and medical professionals to vague, unscientific standards, putting courts in the middle of the doctor-patient relationship; 2) dangerously expand the scope of abortion practice from licensed physicians to any 'health care practitioner'; 3) eliminate parental notification requirements, endangering women and girls across Nebraska; and 4) undermine conscience protections for Nebraska medical professionals. All of these outcomes are harmful to women and children in our state.

“As medical professionals, we have an obligation to provide a commonsense alternative that reflects Nebraskans' sensible position on abortion limits, protects women's health and their relationship with their doctors, and preserves parental notification requirements that save lives. We look forward to discussing these critical issues with Nebraska voters in the weeks and months ahead as we work to protect women and children across our state.”

###

Paid for by Protect Women and Children, 1317 Q St., Ste. 110, PMB 287, Lincoln, NE 68508.
Privacy Policy
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram