Nebraska
Who is Steve Halloran? Nebraska Senator faces ire for dragging colleague’s name into rape scene
Senator Steve Halloran stirred a storm on Monday after he invoked a colleague’s name while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene.
The incident occurred during a Nebraska legislative debate over keeping profanity and pornography out of K-12 classrooms. However, the session ended abruptly after Halloran’s statement sparked outrage.
When lawmakers were debating on Legislative Bill 441, Halloran warned his colleagues that he would be quoting the bill’s hearing testimony, according to Nebraska Examiner.
The bill introduced by Sen. Joni Albrecht aims to eliminate a prosecution exemption for schools that give pornographic materials to students in K-12 schools.
Before concluding his arguments during the debate, Halloran read an excerpt from Alice Seabold’s “Lucky,” which he claimed was available in at least 16 Nebraska school libraries. The book recounts Sebold’s pain of being raped in college and highlights the importance of discussion on trauma and victimisation.
During the 83-second reading, Halloran repeatedly invoked female Senator Machaela Cavanaugh’s name into the text as the victim.
At least two of Halloran’s colleagues — Sens. Julie Slama and Megan Hunt — have called for his resignation.
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Machaela Cavanaugh reacts: ‘It was harassing’
Calling out Halloran, Cavanaugh termed the “incident out of line, harassing and disgusting” as she was left tearful on the floor.
“That was about a book about sexual violence. I have done nothing but try to have a respectful debate with Sen. Albrecht about her bill that impacts my children,” she stated, hoping that other coworkers and Republicans will defend her.
Albrecht, who left the floor immediately, said she was “mortified” after Cavanaugh’s name was mentioned.
Meanwhile, Julie Slama of Dunbar, a conservative, responded to Cavanaugh’s tweet and slammed Halloran, stating that “no context makes this appropriate.”
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Halloran defends self, says ‘I was addressing her lawyer brother’
In an email to a Nebraska teacher on Monday evening, Halloran claimed that he was referring to Cavanaugh’s lawyer brother, John, reported Nebraska Examiner.
“If you would have listened closely, I was addressing her lawyer brother … John!”
Meanwhile, Cavanaugh rejected Halloran’s claims that he was talking about her brother rather than her as “dismissive”.
“Context matters — which was the crux of the bill being debated. Inserting my or my brother or both of our names into the reading of an explicit excerpt from a story about rape is the context of this video,” she wrote.
Nebraska
How Nebraska men’s basketball’s historic start to the season could end its NCAA tournament drought
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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Britt Prince scored 20 points and Jessica Petrie added 17 for No. 25 Nebraska in a 78-73 win over Indiana on Thursday night.
Prince, who buried her 700th career point in the fourth quarter, scored 15 of her points in the second half after holding off a late surge from the Hoosiers (11-6, 0-5 Big 10) in the third quarter. Logan Nissley added 11 points.
Indiana went on a 14-1 run in the third to take the lead from Nebraska (14-2, 3-2) for the first time since the beginning of the game, leading briefly at 51-49. Indiana took a 1-point lead with 5:32 to play, but Nebraska scored 16 points over the final 6:14.
Shay Ciezki scored 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting for Indiana, her fourth time this season scoring more than 30 points. Zania Socka-Nguemen added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Maya Makalusky had 12 points. The Hoosiers shot 51% as a team from the field compared to Nebraska’s 42%, but have dropped their fourth straight game.
Up next
Indiana: Hosts No. 14 Iowa on Sunday.
Nebraska: Hosts No. 4 UCLA on Sunday.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Nebraska
33 Nebraska senators urge Board of Regents to delay vote on $800M acquisition of Nebraska Medicine
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Thirty-two Nebraska state senators joined Sen. Brad von Gillern’s letter calling on the Nebraska Board of Regents to delay a vote on the proposed $800 million acquisition of Nebraska Medicine.
The letter, dated Thursday and bearing a total of 33 signatures from state senators, shared concerns about the proposed acquisition, including the lack of transparency to the public and the Legislature.
According to the letter, the regents’ Jan. 9 meeting agenda item summary indicates that the Board has “negotiated the final agreement over a series of meetings in the past 18 months”.
The regents will consider a proposal in which Clarkson Regional Health Services would give up its 50% membership in Nebraska Medicine. The deal would give full control of the health system to the University of Nebraska.
However, the letter said the public and Legislature have had little time to understand the proposal, its impact and any financial implications of the transaction.
“The University of Nebraska and Nebraska Medicine are two institutions of tremendous significance to our state, and any major changes to the existing structures must be carefully considered,” the letter stated.
Senators are asking the Board to delay the vote to “ensure all viable alternatives have been considered and until all stakeholders understand the impact of the proposal for the state” and the two institutions.
The Board of Regents meeting, previously set for Friday, will now be held Thursday, Jan. 15 at 9 a.m.
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