LINCOLN – The Nebraska Supreme Court on Wednesday denied expedited processing of a Douglas County woman’s lawsuit seeking to remove the abortion rights amendment from the November ballot.

The court record states that the lawsuit, filed Monday by Carolyn LaGreca, a woman who helps house and care for women with unwanted pregnancies in Omaha, did not meet the requirements.

The court stated that the motion for a so-called original complaint was “not supported by an affidavit or a positively verified motion.”

“The application for leave to initiate the original proceedings was rejected,” the court said.

No immediate comment from the lawyer

LaGreca’s attorney, Matthew Heffron, said she did not have time to wait for regular proceedings to begin in district court because ballots must be ready by Sept. 13.

It was not immediately clear whether LaGreca would file a separate lawsuit with corrections to address the court’s concerns. Through her attorney, she declined to comment.

Heffron did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday. He said earlier this week that her lawsuit was funded by the socially conservative Thomas More Society, based in Chicago.

Lawsuit asks Nebraska Supreme Court to intervene and stop a referendum on abortion rights

The lawsuit is separate from a formal complaint filed Monday by a group of local medical professionals about the same ballot initiative with Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen.

This push could also end up in court if Evnen does not change his stance that the bill seeking to enshrine the right to abortion in Nebraska’s constitution is eligible for a vote.

Both the lawsuit and the complaint argued that the abortion rights initiative covered more than one issue, which they said violated the constitutional requirement that it cover only one issue.

Two other Nebraska residents sent letters with similar complaints to Evnen this week; one is a former abortion clinic worker, the other a candidate for the House seat.

Group of medical experts questions abortion bill based on ‘single subject’ rule

Supporters of the ballot proposal point out that it has withstood scrutiny by Evnen and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, both of whom oppose abortion.

No immediate comment from Protect Our Rights

Allie Berry of Protect Our Rights, the organizer of the abortion referendum, called the legal maneuvers a sideshow designed to distract voters.

Her group had no immediate comment on the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the LaGreca case.

Nebraska voters could be the only state in the country to face two competing abortion votes simultaneously this fall, including the bill supported by Protect Our Rights.

Another ballot proposal aims to constitutionally limit abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy, leaving lawmakers free to pass stricter bans in the future.