Nebraska
Nebraska senator invokes colleague's name while reading rape scene during debate
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — A Nebraska legislative debate about keeping obscenity out of K-12 schools ended abruptly Monday night after a lawmaker, while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene, invoked a colleague’s name.
State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, during debate on Legislative Bill 441, warned state senators and those watching the livestream of legislative proceedings that he would be quoting from the hearing testimony on the bill.
LB 441, the priority bill of State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, seeks to crack down on obscenity and pornography in K-12 schools.
One person testifying at the March 24, 2023, hearing on LB 441 read passages from a book titled “Lucky,” by Alice Sebold, which includes a graphic description of a rape Sebold survived in college.
While reading the testimony, Halloran inserted the name “Senator Cavanaugh” at the end of some sentences about the sexual assault.
He didn’t specify which Cavanaugh. (Both Machaela Cavanaugh and her brother John serve in the Legislature.)
At least two of Halloran’s colleagues publicly called for him to resign.
During about four hours of debate, Halloran and others alluded repeatedly to the hearing transcript. Halloran was the first to read directly from it.
“We talked about, ‘My kids haven’t experienced this in my school,’” Halloran said. “Doesn’t matter. If it’s just one school that experiences this, (it’s) one too many.”
The lawmaker also invoked State Sen. George Dungan’s name after reading the passage.
He called out Dungan, of Lincoln, and Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, both attorneys, for questioning the legality of LB 441 but not proposing solutions.
“Don’t throw it away — fix it,” Halloran said. “It’s a problem.”
Much of Monday’s debate featured supporters saying that LB 441 would fix a loophole that they say prevents prosecution if a school official provides obscenity to minors.
Opponents said that is already illegal under state law, and school officials do not have immunity from prosecution.
After Halloran read from “Lucky,” Sen. John Cavanaugh said the Hastings senator “missed the point.”
“Yes, life is gross and very unpleasant,” he said. “But that is what life is, and people who experience that want to know they’re not alone.”
Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh told Halloran that his speech was harassment.
She said that while she and Albrecht disagreed about the bill, Albrecht remained professional during debate. Halloran did not, she said.
“That was so out of line and unnecessary and disgusting to say my name over and over again like that,” Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said.
“You don’t know anything about anyone else’s life, and I can tell you that women in this body have been subjected to sexual violence,” she continued. “I didn’t know you were capable of such cruelty. That was so unbecoming of you and unbecoming of this body, and I hope that some other people who are Republicans will stand up and defend me.”
Albrecht and a handful of other lawmakers had left the floor when Halloran was reading the passage.
Albrecht said afterward she was “mortified” if Cavanaugh’s name was invoked.
“I don’t want to listen to this, but deep down inside, this is what’s happening,” Albrecht said. “… I will be the first to stand up and say I’m sorry — I’m sorry that we even have to read anything like this.”
Halloran, in an email to a Nebraska teacher Monday evening, wrote, “If you would have listened closely, I was addressing her lawyer brother … John!”
In another email shared online and with the Examiner, Halloran described the passage as a “‘how to rape’ lesson given to young people” and said his only regret is that liberals are not upset that “Lucky” is in school libraries.
Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said on social media that Halloran’s explanation that he was referring to her brother was “dismissive” and ignores that men can also be sexually assaulted.
Colleagues from both sides of the aisle in the officially nonpartisan Legislature condemned Halloran.
State Sens. Megan Hunt of Omaha, a progressive, and Julie Slama of Dunbar, a conservative, both called for him to resign.
“Disgusting,” Slama wrote on X. “No context makes this appropriate.”
Speaker John Arch of La Vista, on a motion from Hunt, agreed to adjourn one hour early Monday evening.
The debate is scheduled to pick up Tuesday afternoon after lawmakers finish second-round debate on the state budget.
“There’s times when we just have to step back from the debate, and I think this is one of those times,” Arch said.
Grand Island, Neb. (KSNB) – The Nebraska Siege are back at home for the first time in three weeks when they play the St. Joseph Goats Saturday night at the BigIron Events Center.
The last time the two teams played was in St. Joe, where the Siege beat the Goats 56 to 47.
The Saturday night matchup marks the final regular season, home game for the Siege. But with a win, the Siege can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Throwoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Saturday night.
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Nebraska
Nebraska DHHS evaluating USDA guidelines that could limit food access for undocumented immigrants
LINCOLN, Neb. — New requirements for the Emergency Food Assistance Program could mean some people lose access to food they previously received, and organizations like the Food Bank of Lincoln are warning the community about the looming change.
It has been five months since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directed state agencies to review options to ensure undocumented immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded benefits like food from the program. Nebraska DHHS manages the program in the state, and food banks distribute the food. DHHS confirms it is currently evaluating potential implementation of the request.
Says in a statement provided to 10/11,
The Food Bank of Lincoln says 10 percent of the food it distributes is provided by the USDA through the program, and the new rule would add another barrier to food access.
“We believe that all people should have access to food. Always. End of story for us. And so for us, it’s counter to our mission to think about turning away a child or a senior or a family because of their legal status and not providing them food,” said Tiffany Murray, chief operating officer of the Food Bank of Lincoln.
Currently, people receiving food provided by the USDA submit their income and household size, but their full name is not required on the form. The Food Bank said, under the new rules, a full name must be printed and signed, which may make some people hesitant to participate.
The Food Bank of Lincoln said during the last fiscal year they distributed
10/11 reached out to DHHS about when the changes would be implemented and had not received a response detailing the timeline as of Friday.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Stephen C. Mason, 76, professor emeritus of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, died June 15 in Lincoln from complications of pneumonia and Parkinson’s disease.
Mason retired Sept. 5, 2017, after 33 years of teaching and research in crop production and management in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. Admired by his students and respected by colleagues, Mason was a passionate teacher, adviser, mentor and researcher who generously shared his time and expertise.
“Dr. Mason was widely recognized as one of the most dedicated and impactful teaching faculty members in our department,” said Martha Mamo, department head of agronomy and horticulture. “He had a deep commitment to agronomy education and made lasting contributions through his teaching, mentorship and service.”
The oldest of five children, Mason was born Aug. 24, 1949, in Chillicothe, Missouri, to Frank and Martha (Deaton) Mason. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the University of Missouri in 1971 and a master’s degree and doctorate in agronomy from Purdue University in 1976 and 1983, respectively.
He met his wife, Nora D’Croz, while they were both studying for their master’s at Purdue. They married in Colombia in 1979 and moved to Lincoln in 1984.
He began his career at Nebraska as an assistant professor in crop production and management with a 75% teaching and 25% research appointment. He moved to a 50/50 appointment in the early 1990s and was promoted to full professor in 1994.
Mason instructed all undergraduate grain-crop production courses at the university, co-taught several other courses and co-led College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources education study tours to Argentina with his wife, Nora D’Croz, an adjunct assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture.
He greatly enjoyed teaching and working with graduate students. Working with the international sorghum and millet program gave him the opportunity to conduct research mutually beneficial to developing countries and Nebraska, mentor graduate students and work with them after they returned to their home countries — many of whom made meaningful contributions to academia, research and agricultural development.
He was the principal investigator for the INTSORMIL Collaborative Research Support Program from 1986 to 2007 and regional coordinator for INTSORMIL Central America Program for seven years. He led a McKnight Foundation-funded soil and water management research project in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2015. He also served as the IANR point person for collaboration with the University of Zagreb in Croatia for numerous years.
Mason’s research at Nebraska focused on production practices and environmental effects on grain quality of maize and grain sorghum, dryland production practices for maize and grain sorghum including plant population and planting date, yield component analysis, grain sorghum/soybean rotation, production practices for pearl millet as an alternate grain crop as well as international research in Africa and Latin America.
Mason received numerous honors and awards. He was named a Fellow of the National American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture in 1990, American Society of Agronomy in 1998 and Crop Science Society of America in 2006. He was honored with CASNR and university undergraduate teaching and advising awards, the Nelson Outstanding Graduate Student Advising Award and outstanding teaching awards from ASA and CSSA. He also authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed journal publications, four book chapters and one book.
“His work significantly advanced the mission of the department, the university and Nebraska agriculture,” Mamo said. “Many of us had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Mason and benefited from his collegiality, wisdom and unwavering commitment to student success and agricultural education.”
Having played basketball in high school, Mason continued pickup games with fellow university professors until his shoulders no longer allowed it. A devoted Husker volleyball fan, he attended nearly every home match beginning in the mid-1990s and greatly enjoyed traveling, especially with his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Linda Dale. He is survived by his wife, Nora; his son and daughter-in-law, Daniel Mason-D’Croz and Ximena Alvis Gonzales; his son and daughter-in-law, Michael Mason-D’Croz and Lisa Mason-D’Croz; his granddaughters, Gabriela and Camila Mason-D’Croz; his brothers, Mark and Larry Mason; and his sister, Ann Bach.
A celebration of life will be 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 in the Nebraska East Union’s Arbor Suite.
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