LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska lawmakers are set to take up debate late Tuesday on a plan that would tack on a proposed 12-week abortion ban to a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The combination of the two highly contentious measures sets up what could be one of the most volatile debates of the session.
Technically, lawmakers are slated to take up the final round of debate on the trans health bill, which has already advanced from the first two of three rounds it must survive to pass and go to Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk. But because legislative rules don’t allow amendments to be attached to bills in the final round, lawmakers will debate whether to send the bill back for a second round of debate in order to add the abortion amendment to it.
Opponents of the move plan to filibuster for the entire two hours of debate allowed in the final reading of a bill. Conservatives in the unique single-chamber, officially nonpartisan legislature will need 33 of the body’s 49 senators to vote to end debate before the plan to merge the two issues can move forward. If they fail, both the abortion and trans health measures will be shelved for the year.
Conservatives were stung last month when their bill to ban abortion after cardiac activity can be detected — which happens around six weeks of pregnancy, before most women even know they’re pregnant — failed to break a filibuster by a single vote.
Normally, the issue would be considered tabled for the remainder of the session. But last week, anti-abortion lawmakers sought to resurrect it by crafting a proposal to ban abortion at 12 weeks and attaching it to the trans bill.
Conservatives see the 12-week amendment as a compromise they believe could get the 33 votes they need to see it to the finish line. Opposing lawmakers say the amendment is an unprecedented attempt to take another bite at the apple of a measure they were promised by the Legislature’s speaker would not be revived this year.
Adding to the tumult is the underlying trans health bill, which has been the most contentious of the session. Introduced by freshman Sen. Kathleen Kauth, the bill would ban hormone treatments, puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for anyone 18 and younger.
An amended version would make exceptions for minors who were already on hormone treatments before the ban takes effect, but it also would give the state’s chief medical officer wide-ranging authority to set rules for use of hormone treatments for transgender minors. Opponents say that would give a political appointee of a Republican governor the power to block such treatments, even for those minors grandfathered in.
Both restrictions on abortion and transgender people have been consistent targets amid a national push by conservatives in state legislatures this year.
The introduction of the trans health ban led Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh in late February to vow she would “burn the session to the ground” if it advanced. When the conservative Health and Human Services Committee advanced it anyway, Cavanaugh began an epic filibuster of every single bill before the body — even ones she supports — until the trans health ban was pulled or killed.
She and a supporting cast of lawmakers have done just that for nearly 12 weeks, even as the bill survived by a single vote through the first and second rounds of debate. The filibuster effort has greatly slowed the work of the Legislature this year, forcing lawmakers to package bills together and endure grueling 12-hour and sometimes 15-hour days to pass legislation.
If the plan to merge the abortion and trans health measures gets a go-ahead vote, lawmakers will turn right around Tuesday night and debate again whether to send the merged bill to a final round of debate. If they do, that final round is expected to happen Thursday, when it would likely pass.
Pillen, a Republican elected in November, has said he will sign the amended bill into law if it passes. The bill would include an emergency clause, meaning it will go into effect as soon as the governor signs it.
By Nebraska Athletics
LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team swept the Iowa Hawkeyes 25-17, 25-11, 25-13 on Sunday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in front of a crowd of 8,667.
In their 11th straight win, the Huskers (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) hit .404 and held Iowa (8-8, 2-2 Big Ten) to .155.
Nebraska had seven aces and just one service error. The last time the Huskers had at least seven aces with one or fewer service errors was Nov. 12, 2017 against Rutgers (nine aces, one error). Lexi Rodriguez had three of NU’s aces to go with a match-high 12 digs.
Merritt Beason led NU offensively with 10 kills on .400 hitting and added five digs. Leyla Blackwell had a season-high nine kills on .692 hitting, and Rebekah Allick had nine kills and hit .583 with three blocks. Harper Murray added seven kills on .353 hitting with two aces. Lindsay Krause chipped in five kills on six swings (.833) all in the third set.
Bergen Reilly contributed 35 assists, and Kennedi Orr and Laney Choboy each had five digs.
The Huskers did not surrender an ace to the Hawkeyes. NU’s last eight opponents have combined for just seven aces.
Michelle Urquhart led Iowa with 11 kills on a .269 hitting percentage.
Set 1: Blackwell notched three kills and a solo block to propel the Huskers to an 8-4 lead. Iowa brought the score to 10-10 before Rodriguez went to the service line and sparked a 4-0 run for NU that included kills by Beason and Murray and an ace by Rodriguez. A Reilly kill and Murray ace put the Big Red up 18-12 and forced a Hawkeye timeout. Beason scored her fifth kill to give Nebraska set point, and Allick put down an overpass to close out the 25-17 set victory. NU hit .333 and sided out at a 77.8% mark.
Set 2: Behind an ace from Rodriguez and kills from Murray and Blackwell, the Huskers took a 6-2 lead. Five straight errors from Iowa stretched the advantage to 11-3. Two kills from Landfair and one from Allick powered a 4-0 run to put the Big Red up 16-6. Kills by Murray and Beason and Rodriguez’ third ace of the match extended Nebraska’s lead to 22-9. NU finished out the set, 25-11, with two kills by Blackwell and one by Reilly. Through two sets, Nebraska’s middles combined for 16 kills and no errors for a combined hitting percentage of .800.
Set 3: A Beason kill and solo block, Krause kill and Reilly ace were part of a 5-0 run to put NU up 13-5. Krause notched two kills and Murray registered an ace and a kill to help give the Huskers a 22-12 lead late in the third. A Krause/Allick block and an Allick solo block closed out the set, 25-13, and the match, 3-0.
Up Next: The Huskers will take on No. 10 Purdue on Friday, Oct. 11 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Audio coverage will be provided by the Huskers Radio Network.
A return home to the Bob Devaney Sports Center will begin the same way as the weekday trip to Champagne, Ill. did on Thursday night for Nebraska volleyball – without Andi Jackson.
The budding sophomore missed the Oct. 3 victory over Illinois due to an undisclosed injury. Nearly 50 minutes prior to tip-off of the Huskers home matchup against Iowa, Jackson has been reported by multiple outlets as unavailble again for the Big Red.
According to Lauren Cook West, Taylor Landfair will start again at outside hitter.
Andi Jackson is still out and day-to-day. The NU staff is being cautious and they hope to have her back later this week. Leyla Blackwell will get the start again.
— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) October 6, 2024
The news was first presented on the Huskers Radio Network pregame show with John Baylor and Lauren Cook West, as the injury has been announced as “day-to-day” but without context of the injury itself. The Colorado native was an AVCA All-Region team member her freshman season, while also garnering second-team All-Big Ten and All-Big Ten freshman team recognition in 2023.
Jackson has been one of the lethal threats to Nebraska’s potent start, aiding the No. 2 Huskers with 117 kills and a .475 hitting percentage, good for sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten Conference. Her inside presence has aided the Huskers to sitting 11th in the country in total hitting percentage.
In Jackson’s absence, San Diego transfer Leyla Blackwell will receive her second start of the season. Blackwell had six kills in her appearnce on Thursday night.
Additionally, Taylor Landfair will start at the outside hitter spot likely opposite Harper Murray for a second straight contest. The Minnesota transfer had eight kills in three sets against Illinois, and has 49 total kilss on the season with a .336 hitting percentage. Landfair had a breakout performance to open Big Ten play nearly ten days ago against UCLA, coming off the bench with a season-high 13 kills.
Nebraska battles the 8-7 Hawkeyes at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 2 PM CDT with television coverage on Nebraska Public Media. The Huskers hope to get Jackson returned prior to a tough home tilt with No. 10 Purdue on Friday night in Lincoln.
1/65
LINCOLN, Neb. — With the clock ticking down under three minutes and Nebraska trying to seal the win Saturday, Rutgers senior Kyonte Hamilton broke through the line of scrimmage, wrapped up quarterback Dylan Raiola and swung the freshman to the ground for a 13-yard loss.
Hamilton’s sack on third-and-6 at Nebraska’s 20-yard line got the ball back to the offense with an opportunity to tie the game, something it did time and time again in what ended up a 14-7 loss at Memorial Stadium.
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Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
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