State senators demand Republican’s resignation for inserting Dem names into violent book scene

During a debate over a book ban on Monday, March 18, Nebraska State Sen. Steve Halloran, a Republican, set off a major controversy by quoting a book's graphic rape scene and inserting the names of two of his Democratic colleagues. Now, other state senators — both Democrats and Republicans — are calling for his resignation.

A bill, if it passes in the Nebraska State Legislature, would, Rolling Stone reports, end prosecution exceptions for "educational institutions providing obscenity to minors in grades K-1." Halloran supports the bill, while Democratic State Senators Machaela Cavanaugh and John Cavanaugh (who are siblings) oppose it.

Halloran tried to make his point by quoting a rape scene from the Alice Sebold book "Lucky" and inserting the Cavanaughs' names.

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"The scene is incredibly violent," according to Rolling Stone's Nikki McCann Ramirez. "Sebold describes the physical injuries inflicted on her during the assault and relays her recollections of what her attacker said and did to her during the rape."

Machaela Cavanaugh called Halloran out on X, formerly Twitter, and posted, "Tonight one of my colleagues read a rape scene from a book inserting my name repeatedly. It was gross, disrespectful, and beneath the Nebraska Unicameral."

Machaela Cavanaugh also spoke out on the Nebraska Senate floor, where she slammed Halloran's stunt as "unbecoming of this body."

Machaela Cavanaugh told fellow state senators, "That was harassing. That was about a book about sexual violence."

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Julie Slama and Megan Hunt, according to KETV Channel 7 (an ABC affiliate in Omaha), are among the other Nebraska state senators calling for Halloran's resignation.

On March 18, Jane Kleeb, who chairs the Nebraska Democratic Party, tweeted, "What in the hell is wrong with Halloran and the Republican Party leadership. You must resign Halloran. We've known of disgusting comments made over the years at the country club when he thought he was in 'safe' crowd. This is a pattern, not a one off comment."

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