NEBRASKA TRANS HEALTH BILL ADVANCES, DESPITE FILIBUSTER VOW

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature voted Thursday to advance a contentious bill that seeks to ban gender-affirming care for minors, despite threats from two lawmakers that they would filibuster the rest of the session.

The vote came on the third day of debate, in which lawmakers angrily accused one another of hypocrisy and a lack of collegiality. With the bill's advancement,

Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Machaela Cavanaugh have promised to filibuster every bill that comes before lawmakers for the rest of the 90-day session.

The bill introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth would outlaw gender-affirming therapies such as hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgery for those 18 and younger. It caused tumult in the legislative session long before debate began on it earlier this week — and was cited as the genesis of a nearly three-week, uninterrupted filibuster carried by Cavanaugh, who followed through on her vow in late February to filibuster every bill before the Legislature — even those she supported — declaring she would “burn the session to the ground over this bill.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP'S earlier story follows below.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature was set to vote Thursday on a contentious bill that seeks to ban gender-affirming care for minors and led one lawmaker to stage a weekslong filibuster.

The vote to advance the bill was expected on the third day of debate in which lawmakers have angrily accused one another of hypocrisy and a lack of collegiality. It also saw Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt promising to join fellow Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh's effort to filibuster every bill that comes before lawmakers for the rest of the 90-day session if the bill advances.

Hunt took to the floor of the Legislature on Wednesday to confess that the debate is deeply personal for her, because her teenage son is transgender. She called the bill an affront to her as a parent and called out by name lawmakers she would hold accountable if they vote to advance it.

“If this bill passes, all your bills are on the chopping block, and the bridge is burned," she said. “I'm not doing anything for you. Because this is fake. this has nothing to do with real life. this is all of you playing government.”

The proposal had caused tumult in the legislative session long before debate began on it earlier this week. It was cited as the genesis of a nearly three-week, uninterrupted filibuster carried by Cavanaugh, who followed through on her vow in late February to filibuster every bill before the Legislature — even those she supported — declaring she would “burn the session to the ground over this bill.”