Hours after voting for LB574, a bill banning abortions in Nebraska after 12 weeks and restricting gender-affirming care for trans minors, Sen. Beau Ballard (R) of Lincoln attended a Lizzo concert in Omaha on May 19.
The Grammy Award Winning artist spoke out against the freshly passed legislation during her concert at the CHI Health Center.
“There have been some anti-trans laws passed, some anti-abortion laws passed,” Lizzo told the audience. “And anybody who comes to a Lizzo show should know that I am for people to have the right to healthcare, reproductive and gender-affirming.”
Ballard, who served as a Legislative Aide to former Sen. Mike Hilgers for five years before former Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed him to the Nebraska Legislature on Jan. 4, 2023, said he voted for the bills to protect children.
“I didn’t like it,” Ballard said regarding Lizzo’s music before pulling out his phone and opening the Spotify app to reveal a playlist that included Kodak Black, Lil Baby, Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, SAINt JHN, Drake and other notable Young Money Entertainment artists. Ballard said he decided to attend the concert with his girlfriend after her sister could not attend. “It’s not my style of music.”
Following the passing of LB574 dubbed the “Let Them Grow Act,” Nebraska has joined other Republican-led states that have further restricted abortion access and gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Valiant Post contacted four freshman Republican lawmakers and one senior Democratic lawmaker who voted for the legislation for comments on why they did.
planned parenthood
Sen. Jana Hughes (R), a former consultant engineer and Seward School Board member, said she met and spoke with everyone who contacted her regarding both pieces of legislation.
Representing a conservative district, Hughes ran on the stance of being a pro-life conservative.
“I am 100% pro-life and will advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves,” her campaign site reads. “District 24 and Nebraska are both proudly pro-life should have leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up for the unborn.”
Hughes said she was initially unsure how to vote regarding limits on gender-affirming care for trans youth. However, she had previously said she didn’t believe children should permanently change their bodies before becoming adults. Then, Planned Parenthood asked to speak with her in the Capitol Rotunda one day, and she said she was surprised to learn that the organization was involved in gender-affirming care.
“To me, Planned Parenthood is about reproductive care, providing birth control, checking for STDs etc.,” she said on the legislature floor last Friday afternoon.
Hughes voted for the bill after reading the organization’s Informed Consent Model on its website. The policy states that Planned Parenthood will provide hormone therapy without requiring the patient to participate in talk therapy or having a referral from another medical professional. However, the policy does highlight that Minnesota and Nebraska residents must be at least 16 years old with a parent or guardian accompanying them to the first appointment.
The Valiant Post verified with Planned Parenthood that the Informed Consent Policy on hormone therapy is accurate and up-to-date.
“We are not trying to prevent them from being who they are,” Hughes said. “We are simply saying they can’t have gender-reassignment surgery before they are an adult and that they follow the rules and regulations established in order to access hormones and puberty blockers before they are an adult.”
separation of powers & a slippery slope
Democratic lawmakers have raised the concern of their Republican colleagues allowing Gov. Pillen to influence their votes this session.
“The governor has every right to have opinions on legislation, but he doesn’t press the buttons for us,” Ballard said in response to the concerns and added that there is no pressure from the governor. “But I mean, we both have conservative philosophies and so we’re gonna fall in line on 90 plus percent of issues.”
Hughes said she didn’t come to the legislature to work on controversial social issues but acknowledged how Nebraskans could see the passing of LB574 as a slippery slope. In addition, she said she does not see legislation or efforts targeting adults in the LGBTQ community, like the Attorney General of Missouri’s attempt to restrict trans adults from receiving gender-affirming care.
“I think we have a good group of freshman senators who would stand up against that,” Hughes said.
When asked if he would support potential bills introduced by his Republican colleagues surrounding attempted book bans or erasure of African American history, similar to other Republican-led states, Ballard said he had not given it much thought.
“I have conservative philosophies and conservative principles,” Ballard replied. “I just don’t know about where I draw the line on that.”
Business impact
Sen. Jen Day (D), a business owner in Omaha, spoke on the legislature floor last Friday about the potential impacts LB574 could have on Nebraska’s economy. Citing a 2017 Associated Press analysis, Day highlighted how North Carolina’s “Bathroom Bill” is projected to cost the state $3.76B in lost business over 12 years.
At the beginning of the month, the Nebraska Examiner reported that a letter was signed by over 155 business leaders opposing the passing of LB574. After that initial reporting, other businesses signed onto the letter as well. In addition, over 1,200 Nebraska medical professionals signed a letter opposing the bill.
Tim Burk, Interim President and CEO of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce provided examples of two companies dropping Omaha off their list of potential annual meeting sites precisely because of the bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature this year, according to Day. She also highlighted other examples of potential employees turning down job offers, which involved relocating to Nebraska, because of the state’s political climate.
“We already have a problem here, and we are making it worse,” Day said regarding the brain drain in Nebraska. “Is this the future that you want to leave for your children and your grandchildren?”
Ballard said he is personal friends with many of the business leaders who signed the letter and understood where they were coming from. However, he highlighted that Nebraskans support small businesses, and he will continue to patronize those businesses any day of the week as a citizen.
After Ballard’s “yes” vote on LB574, many social media users called for a boycott of Rabbit Hole Bakery, a Lincoln business that says they are a safe space for the LGBTQ community, where Ballard is a co-owner. In response, he said his business will always be a safe space, and he hopes people can separate his business from his actions as a state senator.
“I have employees that are part of the LGBTQ community that work at the bakery,” Ballard said while highlighting his female business partner. “I have my personal beliefs and my policy beliefs and I don’t think that impacts the way I run a business.”
Regarding the legislation potentially deterring companies from coming to Nebraska, Ballard said the potential impact is something to wait and see.
“I think we’ll have some more data in coming years,” Ballard said. “I think it’ll be pretty evident, I think, on on how businesses react to this.”
Hughes, however, said she is not worried about social issues, such as LB574, deterring businesses from coming to Nebraska in response.
“If IKEA wants to build a store at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna— they’re going to come if they can make money,” she said.
additional lawmakers
- Newly appointed Sen. Carolyn Bosn (R) of Lincoln voted for the bill, but her office told The Valiant Post she was unavailable for comment.
- Mike McDonnell (D) of Omaha voted for the bill, and his office did not return a phone call for comment.
- Christy Armendariz (R) of Omaha voted for the bill, and her office did not return two phone calls for comment.