During legislative session, I am adamant about providing legislative bill updates. It’s rare I would “interrupt your regularly scheduled programming” to write about a non-legislative topic, but here we go.
While it seems like November 2024 was just yesterday, any number of people are already gearing up for November 2026, including a recently launched ballot initiative addressing the topic of abortion entitled “Choose Life Now” (for short, CLN).
CLN would provide protection in the state constitution for unborn children from the moment of conception. (As you’ll recall, to get on the ballot an initiative needs 125,000 signatures from across the state. And, if placed on the ballot, it needs majority support of voters to be adopted into the state constitution.)
If this CLN ballot initiative sounds familiar, it’s because there was a failed attempt last election cycle to obtain the signatures needed to be on the ballot.
Like last time, the Bishops do not support this most recent CLN constitutional amendment proposal.
You might be asking: why would the Bishops not support a constitutional measure seeking to protect unborn life from the moment of conception? That’s a good question, and here’s why.
It’s critical to remember that the Bishops are firmly committed to the legal protection of all unborn children, and they strive to achieve this goal through an incremental (step-by-step) pro-life strategy. Gaining trust of and educating the general public about the dignity of all human life is a labor of love that takes time. It requires prudent decisions and strategies, built on prayer, fasting, and unwavering trust in God.
This incremental strategy was critical for Nebraska becoming a “first in the nation” to defeat the abortion industry in November. We can fight for and support important pro-life legislation this session because of November’s strategy to introduce Initiative 434 to help defeat Initiative 439.
The CLN effort takes a different strategic approach by attempting to gain all those legal protections in one fell swoop, which just doesn’t work. How do we know that? Two key data points tell us why.
First, while we were successful last year in advancing constitutional protections for the unborn through Initiative 434, the abortion industry received 49% support for Initiative 439, an extreme measure that would have created a constitutional right to abortion throughout pregnancy. It is highly unlikely the same voters will turn around and support full protection of unborn life.
Second, even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, similar “personhood” amendment efforts were tried in other states. They failed by wide margins. This includes efforts in Colorado and North Dakota where proposals garnered only 35% support from the public. The CLN proposal is highly likely to meet the same fate, and that’s assuming it can collect the needed signatures for placement on the ballot.
Major losses at the ballot are not cost-free. Crushing defeats of pro-life proposals negatively impact our culture and the likelihood of success of other pro-life efforts. You can also guarantee the abortion lobby will use the CLN effort to their political advantage. They will use it to raise money, well more than they’ll need to spend, against CLN. This will further line Planned Parenthood’s pockets for other political efforts to undermine the pro-life cause in Nebraska.
Furthermore, as we experienced last year, ballot initiatives are serious business. They require significant financial investments, strategic leadership, and effective and consistent messaging. These components are all lacking in the CLN effort.
For context and to stay grounded in reality, spending on Initiatives 434 and 439 totaled nearly $30 million between the pro-life and pro-abortion side. Last go around, CLN raised around $40,000. Perhaps they will raise more money this time around, but these efforts take millions of dollars to begin thinking there is the slightest chance of success.
In closing, there are many ways to build up a culture of life and to evangelize the faithful and the public about the inviolable human dignity of the unborn child. Attempting a constitutional amendment that will suffer a significant defeat at the ballot box is not a prudent strategic step for the pro-life movement in Nebraska.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming: Register for Catholics at the Capitol at www.NEcatholic.org. Seats are going fast, and we need your voice to advocate for our values at the Capitol!
