Thread: NE-Prenatal Bill Fails!

Prenatal care bill done for year, but 'the fight is not over'
StoryDiscussionBy NANCY HICKS / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 2:00 pm | (20) Comments

The prenatal care bill is done for the year, finished by the governor's veto threat and election-year politics.

The measure (LB1110) would have re-created Nebraska's traditional program, with federal and state tax dollars paying for prenatal care for all low-income unborn children, and thus providing prenatal care to illegal immigrants.

Hours of debate on the issue would not change any minds, said Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell, who acknowledged she didn't have enough votes to pass the measure and asked that it be postponed until the last day of the session, effectively eliminating its chances of passing.

The bill originally had more than 30 potential votes, but senators began backing away from the bill in the past two weeks after Gov. Dave Heineman voiced his strong opposition and his veto intent.

Heineman framed the issue as an immigration issue. Illegal immigrants should not get tax-supported public benefits, including government-funded prenatal care, he said.

But Campbell and others said this was a pro-life and healthy baby issue, assuring that all children born in the state have a chance for a healthy start.

With 13 senators facing opponents for re-election, the vote to continue prenatal care for everyone, including illegal immigrants, could be used against them in the election.

The vote would have become a "mail piece in the election" said Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash, a co-sponsor of the prenatal care bill. Pushing back the bill avoided hours of debate that would not have changed any minds and would have provided the vote counts that would be used in the election, he said.

The failure to act on LB1110 is the biggest backward slide on pro-life issues in the last 25 years," said Omaha Sen. Heath Mello. "And it happened under a so-called pro-life governor."

The pro-life movement created the original prenatal program more than two decades ago, assuring that the state legally recognized the unborn and provided them with health benefits, Mello said.

But there is some fear that appearing to support illegal immigrants in any way can be political suicide, since Gov. Heineman's primary victory over former Nebraska football Coach Tom Osborne is often attributed, in part, to Osborne's support of allowing Nebraska high school graduates who are illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition.

Senators agreed that the bill made financial sense, said Campbell and other senators. The state's Medicaid program will be paying for delivery of these children, since this is emergency health care, and it will be covering the cost of care for the baby, who is automatically a U.S. citizen. So providing prenatal care to all low-income women and avoiding expensive health costs later made sense, many senators said.

"It's an election issue, 100 percent. Without senators' concerns about their political future, we could have gotten this done, said Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, a co-sponsor of the bill.

Nebraskans should direct their anger and frustration over immigration to the federal government for their years of inattention, Campbell said.

Supporting senators said they would continue to monitor the prenatal care issue over the next year, including the 1,550 women who lost prenatal benefits on March 1. About 840 of those women are illegal immigrants.

"The fight is not over," said Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, a co-signer on the bill.

http://www.journalstar.com/news/local/g ... 03286.html

Outstanding! Congratulations Nebraska! You did the right thing, don't ever doubt it.

Yippee! And it sounds like the guv is an American first!

Absolute GREAT NEWS!!!! Now I hope Americans will continue calling to ensure KILLING THE:
LICENSES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS BILL IN MINNESOTA;

AND...

THE WORKMENS COMP FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS BILL IN MICHIGAN NEXT!!!!!

WAY TO GO NEBRASKA!!!!

Great News!!!!! YAAAAAAAA! Go Nebraska!

Wonderful news! Pregnant illegal aliens should be reported when they show up demanding taxpayer funded care; this would surely slow down the anchor baby fiasco we have going on now.

Added to Homepage with amended title:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5026--0-0.html

I can't tell you how relieved Ne citizens are that this bill was pulled. Local newspapers are attributing this to Gov H and the "anti-immigrant" groups. I explained to the writer - that NAG is NOT anti-immigrant just opposed to ILLEGAL immigration and to NOT use that term in relation to Nebraskans Advisory Group again.

We worked so hard and consistently against this bill since it first reared its ugly head at the end of January. Almost everyday local newspapers ran at least one to two articles in support of this bill. HERE IS WHO WE WERE UP AGAINST:

The 30 senators who originally supported the bill; Nebraskans United for Life; Nebraska Right to Life; Catholic Bishops; Douglas County Health Commission; Philanthropist Mr. Holland; Ne State Auditor, Mike Foley, Nebraska Appleseed and other pro-illegal alien groups; THE ENTIRE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY;

Nebraska Right to Life had an article saying they would withhold candidate endorsements until AFTER the vote. For Campbell, Nordquist, Krist and Coash to say that this issue is not over - and that some of these senators are going to wait until after the elections to bring this up again next year - THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN!

We have kept track of every public comment and show of support by every single senator - and we WILL LET EVERY PERSON IN EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS know of the support for illegal aliens and their intentions. This is what we promised we would do during our phone calls and emails and so we shall.

We also call ICE and asked them to get the names and addresses from NE HHS of the illegal alien women. Then we wrote NE HHS requesting they send their list of these women to ICE. We wrote asking our state auditor Mike Foley to investigate the abuse, mismangement and fraudulent use of taxpayer money that's been used for illegal alien pregnant women over the past 30 years. Oh Yeh!

God bless you all on the ALIPAC nation who helped and supported us through this most stressful time.

Without senators' concerns about their political future, we could have gotten this done, said Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, a co-sponsor of the bill.

This is exactly what I'm afraid might happen on the national level. Pelosi, Reid, et al have little to lose at their age and just may "Fall on their Swords."

Originally Posted by SusanSmithNAG

I can't tell you how relieved Ne citizens are that this bill was pulled. The local newspapers are attibuting this to Gov H and the "anti-immigrant" groups - for which I chastised the writer of the article - I told him to NEVER use the term anti-immigrant in relation to Nebraskans Advisory Group again.

We worked so hard and consistently against this bill since it first reared its ugly head at the end of January. Almost everyday the ultra liberal local newspapers ran at least one to two articles in support of this bill. They waited until the night BEFORE the bill was to be debated to run my article opposing it. HERE IS WHO WE WERE UP AGAINST:

The 30 senators who originally supported the bill; Nebraskans United for Life; Nebraska Right to Life; Catholic Bishops; Douglas County Health Commission; Philanthropist Mr. Holland; Ne State Auditor, Mike Foley, Nebraska Appleseed and other pro-illegal alien groups; THE ENTIRE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY;

Nebraska Right to Life had an article saying they would withhold candidate endorsements until AFTER the vote. For Campbell and Coash to say that this issue is not over - and that some of these senators are going to wait until after the elections to bring this up again next year - THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN!

We have kept track of every public comment and show of support by every single senator - and we WILL LET EVERY PERSON IN EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS know of the support for illegal aliens and their intentions. This is what we promised we would do during our phone calls and emails and so we shall.

We also call ICE and asked them to get the names and addresses from NE HHS of the illegal alien women. Then we wrote NE HHS requesting they send their list of these women to ICE. We wrote asking our state auditor Mike Foley to investigate the abuse, mismangement and fraudulent use of taxpayer money that's been used for illegal alien pregnant women over the past 30 years. Oh Yeh!
God bless you all on the ALIPAC nation who helped and supported us through this most stressful time.

Great job, Susan! I'm so proud of you and your group and this major accomplishment in Nebraska. And yes, we support you all the way, and I love the letters requesting the list of the women so the names of the illegal aliens can be turned over to ICE and these people deported immediately.