These are Nebraska Appleseed’s guiding principles, and have been since our non-profit, non-partisan law project started “sowing the seeds of justice” in 1996. Nebraska Appleseed focuses on advancing policies and practices that promote self-sufficiency for Nebraska’s working poor families, promote the integration and participation of immigrant populations in communities across Nebraska, provide safe and adequate child welfare services to children who need protection, increase low-income people’s access to the legal system and support democracy by removing barriers to low-income people’s participation in the electoral and public policy decision-making processes.
Save the Date: 10/14/2010 - Building Nebraska's Future Workforce Forum
Nebraska Appleseed Files Lawsuit to Restore Access to Prenatal Care
Today Nebraska Appleseed filed a class action lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court representing more than 1,500 low-income pregnant women and unborn children who were denied access to prenatal care last March. The suit challenges a decision by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to end a program that had been in place for over 30 years and provided access to prenatal care services to unborn children.
"All babies should have a chance for a healthy start in life. That has long been a top priority in this state and that policy remains the law in Nebraska today," said James Goddard, Staff Attorney at Nebraska Appleseed. "The Department of Health and Human Services did not have the authority to change that policy on its own."
Read the Press Release | Read the Petition | Contribute to the Legal Fund
Nebraska Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Low-Income Parents Dropped from Medicaid
Nebraska Appleseed, through a successful class action lawsuit, helped to restore Medicaid benefits to hundreds of low-income parents unlawfully dropped from the program by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Today, the Nebraska Supreme Court found that HHS “unlawfully enlarged upon authorizing statutes and violated the principles of separation of powers,” when it stripped poor families of vital Medicaid coverage by approving a policy that allows HHS to impose a harsher sanction than specified by state law.
Will You Stand Up to Anti-Immigrant Sentiment In Our State?
You’ve seen how over the past few months a few members of our state and communities have pursued misguided and harmful public policy designed to create fear and division and turn neighbor against neighbor:
- Governor Heineman’s administration eliminated pre-natal care for children of undocumented women
- Fremont voters passed a divisive and unconstitutional anti-immigrant ordinance, creating a climate of fear and distrust
- And now State Senator Charlie Janssen of Fremont has announced plans to introduce an Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill in the coming legislative session
This simply can’t continue.
Will you donate $25, $50, $100 or more to help Nebraska Appleseed:
- Restore prenatal care to all pregnant women in Nebraska
- Ensure no other communities follow in the steps of Fremont
- Stop an Arizona-style copycat bill from passing in Nebraska
Read Former State Senator DiAnna Schimek's Full Appeal | Read about Appleseed’s work on these issues
Medicaid Coverage of Prenatal Care for Pregnant Women Questions & Answers
For many years Nebraska’s Medicaid program covered prenatal care for the unborn children of pregnant women regardless of a woman’s immigration status. Unfortunately, on March 1, 2010 many unborn children of pregnant women lost prenatal care Medicaid coverage. The “Questions & Answers” below address some of the important issues relating to Medicaid access for pregnant women.








