Nebraska ponders 20-week limit

Abortion laws in the US state of Nebraska could become some of the strictest in the country if a...

Abortion laws in the US state of Nebraska could become some of the strictest in the country if a new bill outlawing terminations after 20 weeks is passed.

A public hearing took place on the Abortion Pain Prevention Act during which critics and advocates from all over the country came to consider the implications of the strict new laws.

Doctors and lawyers from New York City, Boston and Alaska descended upon the hearing which heard testimonies from 19 people, including two local parents who opposed the bill and told the committee how abortion had been the ethically sound option to take in their experience.

Under new laws, abortions would be banned after foetuses reach 20 weeks unless the procedure was likely to "avert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function" or save the pregnant woman's life.

Current law states that abortions cannot take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The legislature's judiciary committee adjourned following the hearing and put the proposals forward for discussion in executive session where the bill could undergo further amendments, or simply be tabled or passed.

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