Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
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For the past three weeks, the Nebraska legislature has been brought to a screeching halt by a one-woman show of determination. State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D) vowed to filibuster every bill that crossed her desk this year, regardless of her own opinions on them, after a bill to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors was greenlit by the committee.
So far, Cavanaugh has been able to prevent any bills from passing, including those she supports. Her filibuster has covered a range of topics, from her love of Girl Scout cookies to the best doughnuts in Omaha and even the plot of “Madagascar”.
In Cavanaugh’s own words, “If this legislature collectively decides that legislating hate against children is our priority, then I am going to make it painful — painful for everyone. I will burn the session to the ground over this bill.”
Stitch that onto a pillow.
This move has made the halfway mark of the 90-day session a little bittersweet, as not a single bill has made it through. With a unicameral legislature consisting of 17 Democrats and 32 Republicans, a filibuster carries a heavier impact in Nebraska than in any other state, since there is no alternate chamber to pass legislation.
If there was no TikTok, how would we share universal joy over things like “the cheese tax”?
Wednesday the social media app said the Biden admin demanded that Chinese company ByteDance sell the app. TikTok has more than 100 million users in the US. For years, the US gov has cited national security concerns over the company’s access to users’ data. Now, TikTok could face a possible ban, if it doesn’t change ownership. A TikTok spokesperson said a sale wouldn’t address data concerns and that the company was considering its options.
In the meantime, if you have a dog that charges you a cheese tax, Kraft singles have got you covered.
