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by Morgan Ahlstrom
Lincoln, NE — A last-minute push to attach gender-specific bathroom language to other legislation upended debate in the Nebraska Legislature and helped derail a long-awaited medical cannabis measure.
Sen. Kathleen Kauth, whose gender-specific bathroom bills were not scheduled for floor debate because they did not have enough projected votes, added amendments to two separate bills. The proposals, tied to LB730 and LB731, would mandate that state bathrooms and locker rooms allow usage only by assigned gender at birth. The amendments also would extend the statute of limitations on injury and damages from gender reaffirming care.
“This is a commonsense measure that establish the right to privacy in intimate sexes in private spaces, as has been the case for decades. If we truly believe in science there are not other options,” Kauth said.
One of Kauth’s amendments was added to Sen. Dunixi Guereca’s LB878, a bill relating to paid maternity leave. During the debate, a lawmaker raised a challenge on whether the amendment was relevant to the underlying bill.
“So at time that we can be helping kids and helping public safety we’re going to be taking up a bill that does not have the votes to take up a filibuster on its own, so with that point of order Mr Chair, germaneness,” the lawmaker said.
The amendment was quickly deemed non-germane — meaning irrelevant — and was withdrawn.
Kauth also attached an amendment to Sen. John Cavanaugh’s LB933, a bill relating to protecting health care professionals from recommending medical cannabis. That amendment was ruled germane, prompting Cavanaugh to pull the bill, saying he did not have the 33 votes needed to advance it.
“This bill no longer serves the goal of ensuring that kids get access to medicine, this is no longer following through on the promise that so many of you made to your constituents to ensure that Teddy and Will can get the medicine that you told them that they were going to get,” Cavanaugh said.
Cavanaugh said multiple amendments filed on the bill were intended to counteract the will of voters, including amendments introduced by Sen. Bob Hallstrom and Brian Hardin.
“Any of the amendments that have been filed on that bill are hostile and an attempt to hijack that bill and go against the will of the voters,” Cavanaugh said.
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