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Old 03-05-2010, 12:26 PM
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Jeanfromfillmore Jeanfromfillmore is offline
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Default Prenatal-care issue could figure into endorsements

Prenatal-care issue could figure into endorsements
NATE JENKINS, Associated Press Writer
Published: 02:22 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2010
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska anti-abortion group that can make or break political candidates in some races said Thursday that state senators' stances on state-funded prenatal care for illegal immigrants will likely be a factor it uses when making campaign endorsements.
Nebraska Right to Life supports a bill that would continue state-funded prenatal care for illegal immigrants. The likelihood that the anti-abortion group will make the prenatal issue a factor when deciding whom to endorse later this month — even if it is a small factor — could play a role in how some state senators vote on the bill.
Every vote could count.
Whether to continue providing prenatal care for illegal immigrants is the hottest, and many say most important, issue before lawmakers this year. Gov. Dave Heineman is opposed to the bill (LB110) and may veto it if passed, meaning lawmakers would have to muster 30 votes to pass the legislation instead of the normal 25.
There are 49 state senators.
"It would be less than human if we said we didn't consider," endorsements from the group when deciding what position to take on the measure, said state Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton. She's one of the 13 lawmakers who face challengers in their re-election bids this year.
Dubas was endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life four years ago when she was elected. She said she won't decide whether to support the prenatal bill until it comes out of committee and she has a chance to study it.
"Pro-life in my district is a big deal," Dubas added, but constituents are also weighing if immigration policy is a more important aspect of the matter.
The bill is expected to be advanced out of committee next week and to the full Legislature. It's unclear when lawmakers will debate and vote on the bill.
Nebraska Right to Life will make candidate endorsements late this month.
The group's executive director, Julie Schmit-Albin, stressed that senators' positions on the bill would be one of many factors considered when deciding whom to endorse.
"Historically, we look at the totality of records," on abortion-related issues when making decisions, she said.
The bill, which is also supported by most of the major medical associations in the state, would allow illegal immigrants to continue to receive state-funded prenatal care as they have for nearly 30 years.
It is a reaction to federal notification to the state late last year by federal officials, who said the state had been breaking federal rules by allowing unborn children — not just their mothers — to qualify for Medicaid. That allowed legal residents and illegal immigrants who didn't qualify for Medicaid to get Medicaid-covered care because their children qualified.
Heineman and other opponents of the bill say that at its core, it would unfairly provide taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants. Supporters say the yet-to-be-born children of illegal immigrants will be U.S. citizens and eligible for state-funded benefits, so the state should do what it can to ensure the children are born healthy.
The bill would create a standalone program under the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, which allows yet-to-be-born children to be covered, to replace the lost Medicaid coverage.
Last fiscal year, more than 2,800 pregnant, illegal immigrants in Nebraska received Medicaid services. As of last week, 840 pregnant, illegal immigrants were slated to lose state-and-federal funded prenatal care because of the Medicaid decision.
An anti-abortion lawmaker not running for re-election and who supports the bill said he thinks Nebraska Right to Life's position on the measure could help persuade some lawmakers to support it, but won't be an overriding issue.
"This is a core vote where you just reach down deep and make a judgment," said Sen. Tim Gay of Papillion.
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http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/P...nts-391491.php
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