Bellevue, Nebraska abortion ban petition nears goal

A petition to make Bellevue, Nebraska, a sanctuary city for the unborn has received “well over 7,000 signatures,” says organizer Mark Lee Dickson.

State statute requires a petition initiative to surpass 20% of registered voters in the city – roughly 7,400 in Bellevue – to place the question before the city council for consideration. If the council fails to pass the measure, the question then goes to the voters in a special election.

Petition sponsors haven’t released an exact count of signatures, but they anticipate success once the signature verification process has been completed by the Sarpy County Election Commission.

Supporters of the ban hope to shut down city’s abortion clinic. Of Nebraska’s three clinics, Bellevue’s is the only one performing late-term abortion procedures.

“We are ready to see Mr. Carhart’s facility shut down once and for all,” petition co-sponsor Judith Mansisidor told WOWT 6 News, referring to Dr. Leroy Carhart, the owner and operator of the clinic.

Carhart also owns a clinic in Maryland and divides his time between the two locations. Although the Maryland clinic is located in a more densely populated area, the Bellevue clinic performs more abortions. Its location near Interstate 80 makes it an easy option for out-of-state abortion-seekers.

Carhart said through a spokesperson that should the initiative find success, he will likely move his operation to nearby Omaha rather than shut it down completely.

The Bellevue clinic is situated across the street from St. Mary’s Catholic School, just a block from the church itself. Through its many years of business, the public sidewalks around the clinic have seen pro-life groups and individuals praying almost every day for an end to abortion.  

Recently, those sidewalks have had petition circulators gathering signatures just a few yards from the clinic’s front door. 

“There’s no specific timeline set out by when the votes need to be verified. The city doesn’t intend to drag its feet,” Annie Mathews, Bellevue’s interim city attorney, said. If the 20% threshold is met, “it’s our duty to present it to [the] city council.”  

The council will then treat the measure like any other question, having hearings and debate before holding a vote. 

Should the ordinance fail at both the council and the special election, sponsors can reintroduce the measure once every two years with no limit to the number of attempts. 

“We have every intention to exhaust every legal avenue we have to make sure that every soul in Bellevue gets to experience the good life,” Mansisidor said. “That is the Nebraska way.”