Abortion

Supreme Court Refuses Appeal by Nebraskans United for Life

The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a group that tried to intervene and defend an anti-abortion law the state had given up on.

photo courtesy of steakpinball via flickr

The Supreme Court opened its term Monday by refusing to hear an appeal by Nebraskans United for Life of a federal court ruling that blocked its from defending an abortion law that requires health screenings for women seeking abortions.

A federal court had refused to allow Nebraska’s 2010 law to go into effect and the state attorney general took the unusual position of deciding against defending the law and did not appeal the decision. The federal courts found that Nebraskans United for Life could not intervene to defend the matter because they tried to do so too late, despite having knowledge of the pending litigation. When that happened Nebraskans United for Life, doing business as NuLife Pregnancy Resource Center, tried to intervene in place of the state attorney general to defend the law. 

That request was also denied, as was NUL’s request for an appeal of that denial. Today’s refusal by the Supreme Court means the group cannot step in and defend the law in place of the state. So long as the federal court’s order blocking the law stands then for now women in Nebraska will not have to submit to an additional health screen prior to seeking an abortion.