Scorched-earth political strategy reflects inability to disagree

It’s been hard to watch the Nebraska Legislature in action this session, regardless of your political perspective, a sad scenario punctuated by Friday’s emotional vote regarding proposals involving abortion rights and trans rights. After fiery debate, protests and several arrests, LB 574 passed and Gov. Jim Pillen signed it into law, confirming that the Legislature’s conservative majority voted in a way that reflects the state’s political mindset.
That’s not a shocking result, in that sense, but to listen to some of the opposition’s testimony you would think this is extremism politics gone amok. It is not.
LB 574 as passed outlaws gender-assignment surgeries, limits puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors. It also bans abortion at 12 weeks gestational age, or 9-10 weeks from fertilization. The facts of the bill are about all the two opposing sides agree on.
On the gender-assignment issue, it seems crystal clear that the purpose of this bill has always been about the age of the person making such life-altering decisions. As an adult, they have every right to, but asking a child to make that decision defies logic. Children aren’t allowed to drive, to vote or drink alcohol for a reason, so why in the world should a 12-year-old be able to authorize his or her own gender-assignment surgery?
The fact that these two issues were combined into a single bill is in and of itself evidence of how mangled the law-making process has become this year, all because a vocal monitory insists that they’ll do everything in their power to slow the train or run it completely off the tracks if things don’t go their way. After Monday’s bill signing, opponents vowed with hate in their tone that “this fight is far from over,” which means Nebraskans can expect more of the same chaos in the 2024 session.
We as a state and nation are having a very difficult time disagreeing in a respectful manner and learning from each other these days, which is harming our society beyond measure. Watching highlights of Friday’s floor debate, for example, you would think Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh of Omaha saw this one issue as the single greatest controversy in the history of Nebraska politics. She may see it as such through her own narrow lens, but how can she and others in her camp not realize that the scorched-earth strategy she is taking taints her cause and damages her ability to work with lawmakers on this and every other issue?
In the simplest of terms, it’s okay to disagree. It’s not okay to be disagreeable.
-- Kurt Johnson