Cavanaugh says senators holding out hope that a compromise amendment will be up for a vote on the next round are on a fool's errand: "The people saying they are voting for this for the amendment; the amendment is not happening." She withdraws motion; Conrad introduces another.
Sen. Danielle Conrad asks senators to consider what they would do to help their children: "I know in my heart I would do anything to save my child's life." She asks them to dig deep into their wells of empathy and kindness.
Opponents to LB574 have jammed up the works with priority motions, which allow them to jump the line and speak. They are going to jump in, speak for a few minutes, pull their motions, rinse and repeat. Supporters likely won't get a chance on the mic this morning.
"Any one of you could have a Profile and Courage moment today," Conrad says, by voting 'no' or 'not voting.' Conrad tells senators that will save the session and allow the #neleg to consider bills related to workforce development, school finance, etc. She withdraws her motion.
One senator tells me these tactics are following Tuesday's procedural maneuvering, where the question was called after a few senators got to speak and more than 30 were left in the queue. "I think it was broken then; I don't know how you unbreak it."
Hunt: "For me, today is the final vote. Today for you is the final vote." She says she and others are ready to throw up roadblocks for EVERY bill, even those they support.
Sen. Ray Aguilar, a co-sponsor of LB574 who has been absent recovering from surgery for the last few weeks, just arrived and is seated in the very back row.
Cavanaugh says senators are consulting rulebooks to stop debate: "If you spent half as much energy and time doing the work of the people of Nebraska as you do trying to find ways to silence Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, we'd be in a much better place."
Cavanaugh says the Legislature should take away parents' rights to determine if their child should be vaccinated or not. (She says it's insane) "This is equally terrible, actually, this is way worse."
Several times, Cavanaugh said there are two Republicans in the Legislature running for mayor. One is obviously Sen. Suzanne Geist, running for #LNK mayor. The other, she clarifies, is Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who is a registered D. Cavanaugh says she consider McDonnell a R
@ChrisDunkerLJS I consider @senatormachaela a sociopath. Who “burns down the legislature” to mutilate the 12 year old daughter of a friend?