Democrat has used filibuster to BLOCK virtually all political business in ... trends now
Nebraska's politicians began debating a bill on Tuesday to ban surgery for transgender children and young adults, after an opponent of the bill spent three weeks blocking a vote with a filibuster.
Machaela Cavanaugh, a Democrat representing an Omaha district in the state senate, launched her obstruction after Kathleen Kauth, a Republican also representing Omaha, introduced the bill.
The bill, LB574, was introduced on January 17 and 'would forbid gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for those under 19.'
Cavanaugh and her supporters said that the bill was harmful to transgender teenagers, and vowed to slow legislation to a halt in protest.
'If this Legislature collectively decides that legislating hate against children is our priority, then I am going to make it painful — painful for everyone,' said Cavanaugh, a married mother of three.
'I will burn the session to the ground over this bill.'
Senator Machaela Cavanaugh speaks before the Nebraska Legislature on March 13 amid her three-week filibuster, in protest against a bill banning gender-affirming treatment for transgender children
Kathleen Kauth, a Republican also representing Omaha, introduced the bill LB574 in January
Cavanaugh succeeded in slowing the business of passing laws to a crawl by introducing amendment after amendment to every bill that makes it to the state Senate floor, and taking up all eight debate hours allowed by the rules.
Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler said a delay like this has happened only a couple of times in the past 10 years.
'But what is really uncommon is the lack of bills that have advanced,' Metzler said. 'Usually, we're a lot further along the line than we're seeing now.'
Only 26 bills have advanced from the first of three rounds of debate required to pass a bill in Nebraska. There would normally be two to three times that number by mid-March, Metzler said.
In the last three weeks since Cavanaugh began her bill blockade, only three bills have advanced.
On Tuesday, debate finally began on LB574.
The debate soon grew contentious, with supporters and opponents angrily voicing their frustration and admonishing each other for a lack of collegiality.
Senator John Arch is seen in January speaking in the Nebraska senate. The senate is currently debating a transgender child healthcare bill
John Lowe, a senator for Kearney, cited an activist group's claim that gender dysphoria in youth 'is just temporary.'
Senator Brad
