Debate on Nebraska gender-affirming care bill gets combative

By MARGERY A. BECK
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Debate that began Tuesday on a bill that seeks to ban gender-affirming care for minors quickly grew contentious on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature, with supporters and opponents admonishing each other for a lack of collegiality. The bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth would outlaw gender-affirming therapies such as hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgery for those 18 and younger. An amendment she introduced Tuesday would drop the ban on hormone treatments and ban only gender reassignment surgery for minors. But opponents kept up their objections. That included Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who staged a nearly three-week filibuster of every bill that came before lawmakers to protest the trans bill.