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Who is Steve Halloran? Nebraska Senator faces ire for dragging colleague's name into rape scene
Senator Steve Halloran stirred a storm on Monday after he invoked a colleague's name while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene.
Senator Steve Halloran stirred a storm on Monday after he invoked a colleague's name while reading a book passage about an explicit rape scene.
The incident occurred during a Nebraska legislative debate over keeping profanity and pornography out of K-12 classrooms. However, the session ended abruptly after Halloran's statement sparked outrage.
When lawmakers were debating on Legislative Bill 441, Halloran warned his colleagues that he would be quoting the bill's hearing testimony, according to Nebraska Examiner.
The bill introduced by Sen. Joni Albrecht aims to eliminate a prosecution exemption for schools that give pornographic materials to students in K-12 schools.
Before concluding his arguments during the debate, Halloran read an excerpt from Alice Seabold's "Lucky," which he claimed was available in at least 16 Nebraska school libraries. The book recounts Sebold's pain of being raped in college and highlights the importance of discussion on trauma and victimisation.
During the 83-second reading, Halloran repeatedly invoked female Senator Machaela Cavanaugh's name into the text as the victim.
At least two of Halloran’s colleagues -- Sens. Julie Slama and Megan Hunt -- have called for his resignation.
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Machaela Cavanaugh reacts: ‘It was harassing’
Calling out Halloran, Cavanaugh termed the "incident out of line, harassing and disgusting" as she was left tearful on the floor.
"That was about a book about sexual violence. I have done nothing but try to have a respectful debate with Sen. Albrecht about her bill that impacts my children," she stated, hoping that other coworkers and Republicans will defend her.
Albrecht, who left the floor immediately, said she was "mortified" after Cavanaugh's name was mentioned.
Meanwhile, Julie Slama of Dunbar, a conservative, responded to Cavanaugh's tweet and slammed Halloran, stating that “no context makes this appropriate.”
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Halloran defends self, says ‘I was addressing her lawyer brother’
In an email to a Nebraska teacher on Monday evening, Halloran claimed that he was referring to Cavanaugh's lawyer brother, John, reported Nebraska Examiner.
“If you would have listened closely, I was addressing her lawyer brother … John!”
Meanwhile, Cavanaugh rejected Halloran's claims that he was talking about her brother rather than her as “dismissive”.
“Context matters — which was the crux of the bill being debated. Inserting my or my brother or both of our names into the reading of an explicit excerpt from a story about rape is the context of this video,” she wrote.
