Nebraska Supreme Court upholds law restricting health care for trans youth and abortion

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that a law combining abortion restriction and limiting medical care for transgender minors stands. Specifically, the court ruled that it does not violate a state constitutional amendment that requires bills to abide by a single subject. 

"The state’s high court acknowledged in its ruling that abortion and gender-affirming care 'are distinct types of medical care,' but the law does not violate Nebraska’s single-subject rule because both abortion and transgender health fall under the subject of medical care," explained the AP. 

The court's decision came due to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.

There have been several attempts to stop the law, but they have been unsuccessful.  A district judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit last August, and the ACLU appealed. It was learned that a state attorney insisted that the measure did not violate state laws because they were health-related. 

"But an attorney for Planned Parenthood argued that the Legislature recognized abortion and transgender care as separate subjects by introducing them as separate bills at the beginning of last year’s session," the AP noted. 

In that regard, according to an AP tally, at least 25 states have adopted laws restricting or banning health care for transgender minors, and most of those states are facing lawsuits.

Just this week, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed a law banning sex changes for minors. Sununu explained that safety and fairness to children were the main considerations in analyzing the bills and making the decision to sign it. "There's a reason why it's so important," he said.

"There is a reason that countries across the world – from Sweden to Norway, France, and the United Kingdom – have taken steps to pause these procedures and policies. Even the Biden Administration opposes these youth surgeries, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics," Sununu noted.