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.
Also Read: Utah parents allegedly admit to sexually abusing teen daughter in a bid to teach her about…
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.”
Also Read: A mower sparked a Nebraska wildfire that has burned an area roughly the size of Omaha, officials say
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.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A significant severe weather threat continues to unfold across Nebraska, with the Storm Prediction Center placing Lincoln in the path of potentially scattered to numerous severe storms through early next week.
WATCH LIKELY BY 4 PM
Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop out in western Nebraska this afternoon and evening. Winds up to 80 mph and hail up to tennis ball size are the main concerns though isolated tornadoes are possible as well.
Saturday Evening: Two Rounds of Storms
The first round of storms is possible late this afternoon, more likely this evening from the south. All severe weather hazards are on the table, including widely scattered strong tornadoes, damaging winds gusting up to if not above 75 mph and hail the size of limes to hen eggs or larger.
A second round of storms will move in late tonight from the west and continue into the overnight hours. While strong winds remain the primary concern, tornadoes and large hail are still possible.
Sunday: Tornado Risk Increases
A Weather Alert Day continues Sunday as the tornado threat escalates. The potential for strong tornadoes is rated high to very high across parts of central and northern Nebraska, especially in the northeastern portion of the state.
Wind gusts up to 75 mph and lime to hen egg sized hail remain possible. Storms are expected to develop late afternoon, with the greatest threat throughout the evening and into the overnight hours.
Monday: Greatest Overall Risk
Monday presents the greatest overall risk once again. A Weather Alert Day is in effect as widely scattered strong to intense tornadoes are possible, along with wind gusts up to 75 mph and hail ranging from baseball to softball sized. The primary timing window is late afternoon through the evening hours.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
What the hell happened to my life?
My inner monologue was deafening in the stillness of the Nebraska morning. I hadn’t heard myself this clearly since high school five years ago, before I pushed off into life as an actress in New York City. I couldn’t be sure what made my thoughts so loud—maybe it was whiplash, my abrupt move from filming HBO’s High Maintenance to my childhood stomping grounds.
SEWARD, Neb. — Early childhood educators from Nebraska and surrounding states will gather at Concordia University, Nebraska, for the school’s annual Early Childhood Conference on June 7-8, 2026, with an optional pre-conference also planned on campus.
“The theme for this year’s event is Unshakable!” said Concordia Nebraska Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Drew Gerdes. “We know that teachers are hard workers; teaching is challenging in many ways but also rewarding. At Concordia, we have a strong history in developing and supporting teachers, and this conference is one way that we can connect with those in the field, support and encourage them, and offer opportunities to ‘fill their toolbox’ with new ideas and strategies.”
Conference keynote speaker Raelene Ostberg, founder of Thriving Together, will address attendees about finding and keeping joy in their work with students, families and colleagues. Thriving Together is an organization dedicated to supporting early childhood educators.
The Sunday evening dinner keynote speaker will be Rev. Dustin Lappe ’97, who serves at Messiah Lutheran Church and School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Organizers said Lappe has years of experience as both an early childhood teacher and a pastor.
“This conference will feature many break-out sessions on a variety of topics,” Gerdes said. “From the value of music in learning to differentiated learning to early literacy skills, participants will be able to hear from veterans in the field and leaders in education who have a great passion for sharing and helping others grow.”
Concordia Nebraska first hosted an early childhood conference decades ago under the leadership of then-program director Dr. Leah Serck ’58.
“Educators from Nebraska and many surrounding states look forward to this event each year, which has a rich history of bringing in high-quality keynote speakers and valuable topics,” Gerdes said.
More information, including pre-conference and conference details and pricing, is available at cune.edu/ecc. Early bird discounted registration is available until May 22.
-
Lifestyle19 minutes agoBulgarian banger ‘Bangaranga’ bags country its 1st Eurovision win
-
Technology31 minutes agoSony tries to explain that its AI Camera Assistant doesn’t suck
-
World37 minutes agoWHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths
-
Politics43 minutes agoTrump celebrates after UN climate committee moves away from its most extreme global warming scenario
-
Health49 minutes agoAncient Chinese movement shows promise for reducing blood pressure at home, study says
-
Sports55 minutes agoNapoleon Solo wins 151st Preakness Stakes
-
Technology1 hour agoLicense plate cameras at Home Depot and Lowe’s spark privacy fears
-
Business1 hour ago
Commentary: Trump’s ‘weird war’ on wind power will jeopardize our energy future and cost Americans billions
