Nebraska lawmakers to debate a bill on transgender students' access to bathrooms

[Jessica_Rose]

Nebraska lawmakers to debate a bill on transgender students' access to bathrooms and sports teams

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nebraska-lawmakers-to-debate-a-bill-on-transgender-students-access-to-bathrooms-and-sports-teams/ar-BB1l68aI?ocid=windirect&cvid=960f24d3773142a59937321f9f5edca8&ei=29

Story by MARGERY A. BECK (4 April 2024)

Last year objections to a Nebraska bill that sought to ban gender-affirming care for anyone under age 19 ground the work of the Legislature to a near standstill. This year supporters of a companion bill restricting transgender students' access to bathrooms and sports teams waited until the end of the session to advance it for debate, to avoid a repeat.

It was Cavanaugh who led an epic filibuster of nearly every bill before the body — even ones she supported — in an effort to tank the 2023 measure, which was amended to ban gender-affirming surgery for minors and place heavy restrictions on gender-affirming medications and hormones for minors. It eventually passed after a 12-week abortion ban was attached to it, and was signed by the governor.

Its companion, Legislative Bill 575, introduced as the Sports and Spaces Act by Republican Sen. Kathleen Kauth, was stalled for more than a year before it was voted out of committee Thursday. It would restrict students to bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams that correspond with the gender they were assigned at birth.

Cavanaugh said she's ready.

"Get ready to hear my recipes, my movie synopses and on and on," she said. "Until 575 is dead, that's what we're going to be doing."