(LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic bishops of Nebraska have chosen to ban a pro-life coalition from collecting signatures for a state ballot initiative aimed at providing protection in the state constitution for all unborn children from the moment of conception.

In a series of articles beginning in March and continuing through August, Tom Venzor, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, stated that “the Bishops of Nebraska are “firmly committed to the legal protection of unborn children” but only “through an incremental pro-life strategy,” not one that aims to gain complete legal protection of the unborn “in one fell swoop.”     

In 2024, Ballot question 434, known as the “Protect Women and Children” amendment, passed with 54.9% of the vote, but it provided exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. 

The language of Choose Life Now’s (CLN) proposed Constitutional amendment is simple and straightforward, removing those exceptions allowing for the aborting of children when “pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest” or due to so-called “health concerns” of the mother.  

The proposed amendment states:  

A preborn child is a person at every stage of development, beginning at fertilization. Wherever under Nebraska law the term “person” is used or implied, it shall include such a child.

In the most recent communication, Venzor cited a history of similar failed “personhood” amendments in other states, and that if the CLN proposal were to be included on the 2026 general election ballot, it is” highly likely to meet the same fate.”

“Crushing defeats of pro-life proposals negatively impact our culture and the likelihood of success of other pro-life efforts,” Venzor suggested. “Attempting a constitutional amendment that will suffer a significant defeat at the ballot box is not a prudent step for the pro-life movement in Nebraska.”  

But CLN and its supporters believe that the “Protect Women and Children” ballot initiative was driven by fear, and that enough Nebraskans who love life would support an amendment protecting all unborn children.   

“I was shocked and saddened to see that our efforts to end abortion in the state of Nebraska are being attacked by some who have influence in the Catholic church,” Rose Kohl, CLN petition sponsor, told LifeSiteNews.   

“Members of the Choose Life team have made numerous efforts to meet with Church and pro-life leadership,” Kohl said. “Since the filing of the Human Life Protection Act in March of 2023, we have patiently engaged and waited on the Church and Pro-life community to come together to support an end to abortion. 

“Their most recent attack was on August 13th. The Mass of the day for August 13th speaks of the process for dealing with disagreements between believers,” she explained. “When going in private does not bring a change, it is time to tell the Church. After waiting and trying to engage for over two years, it is the time to tell the facts to the Church.” 

“This latest attack, sent out on August 13th, comes from the same source and has similar verbiage to earlier articles, published March 6th, March 10th, and March 14,” Kohl recounted. “As someone who is not a Catholic, I find it quite surprising that so many Catholic newspapers would even print such content. The messages involved are contrary, not only to Church teaching as a whole, but also in direct conflict with the Mass Readings for the days on which this article was published.” 

“The personhood issue goes to the heart of why we say abortion is wrong,” retired Navy officer Robert Smith, a longtime proponent of the personhood amendment, explained last year.  

The proposed amendment is based on Deuteronomy 30:19:

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.