TESTIFY IN PERSON FOR LB 929
The hearing for LB 929 is January 26th at 1:30 at the state capitol. If you plan to testify in person:
- Arrive by 1 pm to allow time for parking and to sign in
- There is both open and metered parking
- Print out your testimony or have on your phone for easy access to read
LB 929 TALKING POINTS
- In Nebraska, around 1 in 3 births are covered by Medicaid
- Of Nebraskans who died from pregnancy-related issues, 60% were due to Medical factors.
- Of factors contributing to maternal mortality, almost 40% are due to lack of access/financial resources or continuity of care.
- Many pregnancy-related complications, including death, occur after the 60-day limit.
- 1 in 9 new mothers experience PPD
- More than 50% of low-income mothers experience depression between 2 weeks and 14 months of birth
- Black birthing women and people are more likely to have PPD but less likely to receive treatment
- PPD can create issues in bonding, feeding, and cause mental, emotional, and developmental complications in children.
- 26.6% of Nebraska’s Medicaid beneficiaries are black, despite being 5% of the state’s population.
- The share of births covered by Medicaid is much higher for Black birthing people, at 65%
- The severe maternal morbidity rate (near death experiences) is 63% higher for women in Black communities in 2020 than in white communities
- Black birthing people are more likely, compared to White birthing people, to endure risk factors during birth that increase the likelihood of infant mortality and can have long-term negative consequences for children’s health.
ADDITIONAL BILLS TO SUPPORT
LB 885(Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh) would require implicit bias training for medical practitioners under the Uniform Credentialing Act
LB 715 (Sen. Hunt) to repeal a state restriction that forces Nebraskans with private insurance to purchase additional optional coverage for abortion care.
LB 716 (Sen. Hunt) to allow Certified Nurse-Midwives, APRNs and physician assistants to provide abortion care.
LB 881 (Sen. McKinney) to remove sales tax on menstrual products and require detention facilities to provide these items for free.
LB 1129 (Sen. Morfeld) to provide free birth control to all Nebraskans.
BILLS TO OPPOSE
- Additionally, the Governor has outlined in the state’s budget (LB 1011) restrictions of state funds used for “research, adoption, drafting or implementation of state sex education standards” by the Board of Education.
LB 1181 (Sen. Groene) would change provisions relating to required identification documents for registering to vote and voting and procedures for early voting
LR278CA, (Sen. Linehan) would proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate the State Board of Education and provide for the governor to appoint the commissioner of education.
LB 781 (Sen. Julie Slama) and LB 933 (Sen. Albrecht) that would ban abortions and harm those who are already marginalized in our society, including people with lower incomes, people of color, young people, LGBTQ+ individuals and people in many rural communities, by pushing health care out of reach.
LB 963 (Sen. Dave Murman) that would allow doctors to discriminate against patients by denying medical care due to personal beliefs.
LB 1077 (Sen. Ben Hansen) that would censor discussion on race and gender in public education.
LB 1086 (Sen. Suzanne Geist) that add medically unnecessary restrictions to medical abortion.
TIPS FOR TESTIFYING
Introduction
- Start by introducing yourself.
- You will need to state your name and spell it. This helps those who are transcribing the hearing to accurately record your name.
Your Message
- Pick 2 or 3 main points that you want to focus on—what are the key things you want them to remember about what you shared?
- Keep your comments to 3 to 5 minutes.
Crafting Your Testimony
You Are the Expert of Your Experience: Make it personal! How has this issue impacted you, your family, your community?
- If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your own story (out of fear of retaliation by your employer, for example), you can work with advocacy groups like I Be Black Girl to find ways to creatively elevate your voice and experience.
Call to Action: Don’t forget to make an “ask” or “call to action” of the policymakers. What would you like them to do? How can they address your concerns?
Pause: After your comments, pause for questions from the policymakers. This is an opportunity for them to learn from you, as you are the expert in your experience. They may have additional questions to better understand what you have shared with them.
- If you don’t know an answer to a question, it is perfectly fine to say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I would be happy to follow up with you about it.” If you provide this response, be sure to follow-up after the session.