Nebraska State Senator Filibusters for 3 Weeks to Prevent Anti-Trans Legislation

Nebraska state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh has spent the past three weeks filibustering a law that would ban gender-affirming care for minors in the state. To pass the time, she’s discussed her favorite Girl Scout cookies and dissected the animated movie Madagascar, among other things. Cavanaugh has vowed to filibuster every bill that the legislature discusses, regardless of her support for it, to slow down the passing of laws in a stand against the state’s efforts to target LGBTQ minors. “If this Legislature collectively decides that legislating hate against children is our priority, then I am going to make it painful — painful for everyone,” she said. “I will burn the session to the ground over this bill.” Not a single bill has passed this year, even though Wednesday marks the halfway mark of the 90-day session.