An infant abandoned at Bergan Mercy Hospital Monday has renewed the long-running debate over the fact that Nebraska has no safe haven law. The woman who left the child at the hospital could face criminal charges for child abandonment.

She was photographed by surveillance cameras as she walked into the hospital Monday afternoon with a newborn in a basket. The basket was placed in a restroom and the woman left.

Had that happened in 48 other states, that would have been the end of the story but because it happen in Nebraska the woman could face criminal charges.

Three babies have been abandoned in Nebraska this year.

State Senator Steve Lathrop says, "There are only two states that don't have a safe haven law and Nebraska is one of them."

Senator Lathrop was among the state lawmakers who pushed last session to have a safe haven law adopted in Nebraska. The bill would have allowed parents to leave an infant less than 72 hours old at a hospital or fire station.

Senator Lathrop says, "The idea behind a safe haven bill is to allow an opportunity for these children to go from birth to people that can provide the proper care."

The bill failed, just as similar legislation has in years past.

Some say Senator Ernie Chambers single-handedly killed the proposal. Senator Chambers says, "I don't take a poll to determine what I think is right."

For lawmakers he says, "it's the easy way out," of a much larger social issue.

April Blevins, with the Nebraska Adoption Agencies Association says, "Even if we had safe haven we are still going to have baby abandonment issues."

The Adoption Association agrees with Senator Chambers in that a safe haven law would be a step backwards and contends that it would only encourage unhealthy behavior.

Blevins says, "We are going to encourage unsafe delivery episodes where she knows it's okay to deliver at home and then she can abandon the baby later instead of delivering the baby at the hospital."

But with three more newborns left in potential danger since lawmakers last debated the issue, supporters vow to bring the matter up again in January.

Hospital officials say the baby boy left at Bergan on Monday is doing well. They say he appeared to be less than 24 hours old when he was abandoned.