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Abortion Rights Rally at Iowa Capital, Neb Lawmakers Pass Budget Bill, 5:04

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Abortion rights supporters rallied at the Iowa Capitol today (Tuesday) as part of a nationwide protest against new abortion restrictions in other states. 

Iowa abortion rights advocates say new abortion laws in states like Alabama and Kentucky are an attack on everyone in the United States who can get pregnant.

Sarena Ramirez of Des Moines agrees. 

0521ramirez: 10  “All women are threatened by that. In other countries, they have these laws, and women die because they can’t do what is right for their health care.”

Lawmakers passing strict abortion laws say they want to challenge the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal.

Some hoped Iowa would lead the charge when the governor approved a law last year to ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. But an Iowa judge struck down the law, and it was never enforced.

Nebraska lawmakers have approved a new $9.3 billion, two-year budget despite objections from a group of fiscal conservatives who wanted spending cuts.

The Nebraska Unicameral

The main budget bill won final approval Tuesday on a 35-12 vote. It now heads to Gov. Pete Ricketts, who can approve it, reject it or use his line-item veto power to cut specific items.

The budget includes $51 million annual boost to the state's property tax credit fund, which is used to reduce the total amount owed on property tax bills. It also boosts funding for health care, child welfare, and behavioral health services.

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