Nebraska lawmakers put off vote on ‘heartbeat’ abortion ban

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee took nearly eight hours of testimony Wednesday before adjourning without a vote on whether to advance a bill that would outlaw abortion at a point before many women know they’re pregnant. Hundreds of people crowded the halls of the state Capitol for a committee hearing on a so-called heartbeat bill. The bill would ban abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, which is generally around the sixth week of pregnancy. The committee took testimony from around 100 people before adjourning. A decision about whether to advance the bill will come at a later date.