Close to 70 people gathered on the Capitol steps Wednesday evening to celebrate the passage of a bill that would restore prenatal care to women who lost Medicaid insurance two years ago.

But they acknowledged there is more work to do as Gov. Dave Heineman has promised to veto the bill.

The Legislature passed LB599 on a 31-15 vote. It would restore prenatal care, mostly to babies of undocumented mothers. Without an emergency clause, the bill would take effect July 19.

Heineman, who has five days to sign or veto the bill, has opposed it strongly, saying it is not a pro-life bill, but one about illegal immigration, and will draw undocumented women to the state to take advantage of the benefits.

Read that last paragraph one more time. It’s amazing in the way it manages to encapsulate everything that’s wrong with the immigration debate in this country.

When Governor Heineman vetoes this bill, as he’s almost certainly going to do, will his pro-life constituency hold him accountable?