On April 6th, 2021 the city of Hayes Center, Nebraska became the first city in Nebraska to pass an ordinance banning abortion within their city limits. The vote was unanimous. According to the Hayes Center Times-Republican, the Village of Hayes Center is the “twenty-fourth city in the nation, and the first city outside of Texas” to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion. 

Village Board of Trustees Kimberle Primavera, Alicia Richards, Nikki Hamilton, Sarah Rosno, and Tracy Neverve all voted in favor of the ordinance. The possibility of passing an ordinance was discussed at a village board meeting in March and presented and voted into law at a village board meeting on April 6th. 

Among those in attendance at the April 6th meeting was Mark Lee Dickson, the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, who has been involved in assisting twenty-three cities in Texas outlaw abortion within their city limits. Dickson saw the night as a historic night for the people of Hayes Center. "The majority female leadership of Hayes Center knows that Mothers are not meant to end the lives of their young, but to take care of their young. By passing this ordinance the leadership of Hayes Center has boldly declared, 'We will not allow the killing of our children here in Hayes Center, Nebraska.”

Board Member Sarah Rosno was one of the five board members who voted for the ordinance. Rosno shared, “I truly believe that this step was a good way to preserve our way of life out here. We can’t and won’t be swayed by the government’s views or beliefs on the importance of a human life. Every life matters.” Rosno continued, “God designed women to be able to carry a child - which is an absolute miracle in itself. For anyone to take that for granted by choosing to end a life, has always been heartbreaking to me. I believe each child deserves life. God has a plan for each and every child, no matter their gestational age.”

The unanimously passed ordinance states, “It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the village of Hayes Center, Nebraska” and “It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly aid or abet an abortion that occurs in the village of Hayes Center, Nebraska.” The ordinance defines abortion as “the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant.” The Hayes Center Ordinance clarifies that the act is not an abortion if the act is done to “save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child” or “remove a dead, unborn child whose death was caused by accidental miscarriage” or “remove an ectopic pregnancy.”

While the Hayes Center Ordinance does not ban Plan B or other forms of emergency contraception, which can cause an abortion, it does declare abortion-inducing drugs to be contraband stating “It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or distribute abortion-inducing drugs in the village of Hayes Center, Nebraska.” Abortion-inducing drugs are defined by the ordinance as “mifepristone, misoprostol, and any drug or medication that is used to terminate the life of an unborn child.” 

The penalty for violating the ordinance is a fine of $500, which is the most that the law of Nebraska allows villages to do for the violation of a village ordinance. The fine, which is immediately enforceable, contains only one exception - it cannot be imposed on the mother of the unborn child which has been aborted.

KNOP News Nebraska reported that, upon hearing the news, Governor Pete Ricketts commented on the Village of Hayes Center outlawing abortion. Governor Ricketts said, “Nebraska is a pro-life state, and communities are working to recognize and protect innocent life in a variety of ways. The Biden-Harris Administration is pushing a radical, pro-abortion agenda, and Nebraska must do everything we can to stand against the abortion lobby.”

Hayes Center, Nebraska was the first city in Nebraska to outlaw abortion, but they are not expected to be the last city in Nebraska to outlaw abortion. According to Dickson, “Governor Ricketts and the people of Nebraska can expect to see more cities to outlaw abortion in the near future.”