Shared via Protect Our Rights with minor edits for style and to reflect ACLU of Nebraska involvement. Learn more about the campaign at ProtectOurRights.com.
LINCOLN, NE - Today, Protect Our Rights, the coalition behind a ballot measure seeking to protect abortion rights in Nebraska, delivered more than 207,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State, bringing the citizen-led measure one step closer to the November ballot. The number of signatures turned is roughly 84,000 more than the minimum requirement set forth by the state and includes representation from all 93 counties in the state.
“Today is a historic day,” said Allie Berry, campaign manager for Protect Our Rights. “Hundreds of people volunteered, and the enthusiasm was palpable. I know Nebraskans are ready to vote to protect their rights in November.”
A press conference was held July 3, 2024, to announce the achievement. Speakers included Ashlei Spivey, executive director of I Be Black Girl, a reproductive justice organization; Dr. Elizabeth Constance, a double board-certified OB/GYN who spoke about how the state’s current ban is harming families; Emma Poulas, a medical student, who spoke about the impact of abortion bans on aspiring doctors and unsuspecting families; and Jasmine Smith, a mother and birth worker and one of the sworn sponsors whose treatment while pregnant inspired her activism.
“When I was pregnant with my son, I felt unheard and helpless,“ shared Jasmine Smith, an Omaha-based full-spectrum doula. “I decided to sponsor this initiative because I believe that every pregnancy is unique and should be treated with dignity and privacy. Patients and families deserve compassion and to feel empowered to make their own decisions during one of the most personal and impactful times of their lives. Now, they have the chance to make that a reality when they vote in November."
Protect Our Rights submitted a near-record number of signatures despite competing petition drives supported by politicians and anti-abortion advocates who relied on misinformation and deceptive tactics to fuel their campaigns.
Launched in November 2023, Protect Our Rights is a community-led initiative to stop political overreach and protect legal abortion access to fetal viability, restoring access to needed care that Nebraskans had for decades under Roe v Wade. The ACLU of Nebraska is a proud supporter of the campaign.