FILE - Neb. State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings speaks during debate, Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in the Legislative Chamber in Lincoln, Neb. Halloran is facing calls to resign after reading a graphic account of rape from a best-selling memoir on the floor of the Legislature on Monday, March 18, 2024, in which he repeatedly invoked the name of a fellow lawmaker, making it appear as if that lawmaker was the subject of the assault.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
  1. Nebraska state Sen. Steve Halloran’s (R) sexual harassment on the Senate floor

While debating a bill to limit “obscene material” in K-12 schools, Nebraska state Sen. Steve Halloran (R-Hastings) interjected the name of his female colleague Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D-Omaha) while he read from a passage from a book that detailed a graphic rape scene.

Halloran partially apologized but said he was referring to Machaela’s brother, state Sen. John Cavanaugh (D-Omaha). Still, Machaela and other legislators across the political spectrum called for Halloran’s resignation after the incident. The Legislature’s governing board issued a letter of reprimand on Thursday, but some lawmakers say this action did not go far enough. Sen. John Cavanaugh (D-Omaha), Machaela’s brother, said in a statement that a full censure vote from the body should have been conducted.

“This is embarrassing and disappointing,” Cavanaugh said. “As it stands right now, the Exec Board has said that it disapproves of this kind of language, but the Legislature has not.”

  1. Arby’s picks up Tennessee lawmakers’s slack to feed school children

After Republicans in Tennessee killed a bill to give free lunch to public school children, the fast food chain Arby’s stepped in to commit $500,000 to feed students in hundreds of communities across the state. The latest contribution was a $16,892 check to Hawkins County last month.

“Hawkins County Schools are humbled with the selection by the foundation to help with this need, which otherwise would have to be paid from district budget funds,” Hawkins County Director of Schools Matt Hixson said at a Hawkins County Board of Election meeting earlier this month. “The Arby’s Foundation has stepped up to provide a need in an area that others never think about, and we greatly appreciate their generosity.”

Despite a significant budget surplus, Tennessee Republicans seem to be weary about the cost of feeding students despite there being 285,000 food insecure children in the state according to statistics from the Education Data Initiative.

  1. The Republican’s thin hold on Congress

Under the leadership of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), the United States House of Representatives has somehow sunk to new lows despite Republicans conducting the first removal of a speaker in modern American history last October. Johnson has struggled to keep the chamber under one banner, as far-right attention seekers like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) openly criticize his every move. After Johnson pushed through a round of spending packages two weeks ago, Greene threatened to introduce a motion to vacate his speakership for working with Democrats to pass a Ukraine aid package.

Meanwhile, three “moderate” GOP members of the House have resigned from their positions since Dec. 31, with a fourth coming on April 19. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) is seemingly leaving his party in an even worse position on purpose as he is resigning after the April 9 deadline to conduct a special election. Since he is leaving after that date, Gallagher’s seat will not be filled until November, leaving the Republicans with just a one-seat voting majority in the chamber.

If Greene files her motion to vacate after Gallagher leaves, there is a real possibility that the Democrats take control of the chamber before the elections in November, unless the entirety of the Republican majority votes in unison. That’s a feat they have rarely been able to accomplish in recent months.

  1. Missouri candidate Chuck Basye’s aggressive entrance into an election

On March 27, Missouri Democratic state Senate candidate Stephen Webber shined light on his Republican opponent Chuck Basye’s aggressive and inappropriate behavior online. Webber shared multiple text messages, emails and social media replies where Basye routinely berates others including Webber himself, who is the former chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party. Basye has referred to Webber as a “crybaby f—wad,” a “con-artist,” and alleged that he is gay and has a secret boyfriend, which is not true. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch released an editorial on Wednesday condemning Basye’s behavior.

Basye responded to Webber in a statement to Heartland Signal.

“It appears that Stephen Webber is afraid of a challenge from a former legislator who actually accomplished many great legislative victories for Missouri, most notably substantive legislation benefiting families with disabled children and our military veterans. Webber didn’t accomplish anything during his eight-year tenure in the General Assembly except missing over 1,000 votes!” Basye wrote. “It appears the people spouting off on X are a bunch of losers, especially that p—- Jason Kander!”

Basye served in the Missouri House of Representatives for eight years before term limits forced him to leave. He lost a Columbia Board of Education school board election in 2023 before announcing his run for state Senate.

  1. Minnesota state senator opposes safe gun storage because of killer cows

While debating a piece of legislation to require safe firearm storage in Minnesota, state Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) voiced his opposition on the grounds of farmers needing to defend themselves from homicidal cows.

The Democrat-controlled committee passed the measure despite Limmer’s objection. Limmer’s killer cow rhetoric is the latest in a years-long stance in opposition to firearm safety bills.