Latest news with #Riepe
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers narrow, advance bill to define male and female in Nebraska law for school sports
State Sens. Merv Riepe of Ralston and Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area meet on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature. April 22, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A bill seeking to define 'male' and 'female' in Nebraska law advanced Wednesday for K-12 and collegiate sports teams alone, no longer for school bathrooms, school locker rooms or state agencies. State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston ultimately supported Legislative Bill 89, the 'Stand With Women Act,' on the condition that his amendment was adopted to limit the bill to sports. He said the amended bill preserves athletic competition without a 'moral panic' against transgender Nebraskans. 'I did not run for office to become part of the 'Nebraska State Potty Patrol,'' said Riepe, who publicly requested the change last month. Riepe's amendment was adopted 34-8. The bill advanced 33-15. The 'panic,' Riepe said, 'is no different' than when some people justified 'government overreach' to argue that video games make people violent, rock music leads to devil worship and comic books corrupt youth. He said 'reason eventually won out' and 'cooler heads prevailed' in those cases. Under the bill, a student-athlete would need to verify their sex at birth with a doctor's note before they could participate in single-sex sports, which State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, LB 89's sponsor, envisioned would come during a student's physical exam. Public school sports would be restricted to students' sex assigned at birth, for males or females only, unless coed/mixed. There would be an exception if there is no female equivalent team, such as football. Private schools competing against public institutions would need to do the same. 'Sex' would be defined as whether someone 'naturally has, had, will or would have, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes' either eggs (female, woman or girl) or sperm (male, man or boy) for fertilization. Kauth, who designated LB 89 as her 2025 priority, said her bill was about 'common sense' and 'adherence to biology' while establishing protections for women and girls. She said she was grateful to Riepe, and while she wished the bill could remain in full, she respected Riepe and said, 'Sometimes making incremental steps is the best way to go.' Kauth said she would return in 2026 and try again for bathrooms and locker rooms, which Riepe said he would not support. He said LB 89 indirectly took care of locker rooms and that he was against turning the Legislature into a 'vehicle for fear, overreach and culture war crusades.' 'LB 89, as amended, respects that line,' Riepe said during debate. 'It focuses on competition, not surveillance. It protects sports, not panic.' Gov. Jim Pillen, speaking with the Nebraska Examiner a few weeks ago, said he would accept the pared-back LB 89 'if that's where it ends up.' He said that if a boy goes into a woman's restroom, 'the rest of the boys will take care of him.' Kauth said LB 89 would prevent that self-policing and that a 'high-trust society' would give faith that someone under her bill is on the right sports team, or as in the larger bill, bathroom. Some opponents, such as State Sens. Megan Hunt and John Cavanaugh, both of Omaha, have said Kauth's bill would require policing on whether anyone is allowed in the 'right' bathroom or locker room and would be discriminatory against transgender Nebraskans. Still, opponents to LB 89 did not block Riepe's amendment — State Sens. Jane Raybould of Lincoln and Dan Quick of Grand Island even voted for the amendment, despite not voting to advance the bill later. Progressives, such as State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, George Dungan of Lincoln and Victor Rountree of Bellevue, instead took time to speak directly to transgender Nebraskans and their families, knowing they couldn't stop the bill. Conrad said that in more than a decade in public life, she'd never seen one group of Nebraskans and their families suddenly 'under attack by their government.' She said opponents would 'lean in with more love and light when faced with darkness.' 'Those of us who stand on the right side of history and in support of human rights will not stop until each member of the human family is afforded equal rights and human rights,' said Conrad, who previously led the ACLU of Nebraska. 'I thank you for your love and compassion in the face of hate and harm.' Rountree said that as a pastor, he would stand with love 'because Jesus loved us all.' State Sen. Dan Lonowski of Hastings, a former public school teacher, said the bill wasn't about discrimination and noted that he would often have LGBTQ students eat in his classroom over lunch because they didn't want to eat in the full cafeteria. He said it didn't matter his political affiliation and that it was about giving those students space. State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said that if someone wants to be transgender, 'be transgender,' and if they want to play sports, they can, just on the team corresponding to their sex. Kauth and State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman said it was 'shocking' that lawmakers needed to defend women's rights, and Kauth said LB 89 sought to prevent discrimination against women. The pair called out Dungan, who said lawmakers needed to 'shut up' and leave the issue alone. Storer said it was 'gaslighting' to suggest that supporters had 'hate' in their hearts, which she denied. 'I see the faces of beautiful women disappearing, being erased, so they're supposed to step aside, be quiet, sit down, shut up, for fear of being called out for 'hating,'' Storer said. She added: 'You can defend the rights of women and not hate transgender, and I don't hate anyone.' Sen. John Cavanaugh said he didn't think the problem was 'hatred' or 'discrimination,' while he thought there might be some 'misunderstanding' of what 'discrimination' means legally. 'I think this is an unwillingness to get to know people,' he said. Hunt said children just wanted 'the freedom to play with their friends without being politicized.' Dungan said 'all they're asking is to be left alone.' Cavanaugh pointed to the biblical commandment to 'love thy neighbor as thyself,' and that when he met families who would be hurt by LB 89, they were 'just regular Nebraska families.' He said that while with Riepe's amendment the bill is 'less harmful,' trans children would still be hurt. 'If people have hurt your feelings by saying that you are 'hateful' and 'discriminatory,' then I'm sorry,' Cavanaugh said, 'but do not take that out on these children.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers advance ‘public safety' package allowing detention of Nebraskans as young as 11
State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln. Feb. 22, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — After debate that spilled into three days, Nebraska lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bundle of 'public safety' proposals highlighted by a contentious provision to lower the age at which a Nebraska youth can be detained — to 11 years old. The age drop was backed by Gov. Jim Pillen and originally included in a bill by Ralston State Sen. Merv Riepe, which did not fully make it out of committee but did, in part, emerge in the bundle now known as Legislative Bill 530. Segments of at least nine bills were folded into the megabill before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee moved it to the floor for full debate. Lawmakers advanced it 33-0, with 16 senators marking present not voting, to move the package to final reading. The vote came after committee chair, Lincoln State Sen. Carolyn Bosn, agreed to continue negotiations with Democratic lawmakers who view the juvenile justice elements as overly punitive. Several have said prevention and rehabilitation services are more effective when dealing with young people whose brains are still developing. 'It costs more to imprison our kids,' said State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha. 'Juveniles have the most chance for rehabilitation … We should be investing in resources and not detaining fifth graders.' Bosn, a former prosecutor, views the overall package as one that promotes public safety and better re-directs juveniles who have veered into trouble. 'The public has the right to feel safe in their communities while juveniles also have the right to be set up for success. I think this threads that needle perfectly.' While the Riepe proposal to reduce the minimum detention age from 13 to 11 stirred the most objection, the Ralston lawmaker noted that another previously contentious element was not included in the larger package. That piece would have lowered the age at which a teen could be charged as an adult for serious felonies, from 14 to 12. He reiterated his stance that the younger age was necessary due to a rise in serious violent offenses by younger kids, and said he relied on information from the Douglas County sheriff and attorney. The goal, Riepe said, is to 'intercept a cycle, step in before it's too late.' State Sen. Terrell McKinney said juvenile crime has gone down overall. He said the Omaha mayor has campaigned on less crime in the city. 'Where's the research, where's the data?' he asked Riepe. Riepe's LB 556, during a March 13 public hearing, garnered support from a Pillen representative and seven others, while 28 testified in opposition. In addition, 115 wrote in opposition while two people submitted letters of support. Thursday's vote prompted a statement from the ACLU of Nebraska, Voices for Children and RISE, which supports people transitioning out of incarceration. The groups criticized amendments that expanded felony offenses as well as the proposed drop in the minimum age for detention. They noted that among the reasons a preteen could be detained, under the proposed legislation, is if the youth exhibited signs of self-harm. Detention facilities are not mental health or healthcare facilities or safe havens. Our children deserve better.' – Jasmine Harris of RISE 'Expanding felonies, harshening penalties and detaining children as young as 11 will not build safer or stronger communities,' said Jason Witmer, policy fellow with the ACLU Nebraska. 'LB 530 is very clearly still a step backward on smart criminal and juvenile justice policy.' Jasmine Harris, director of public policy at RISE, said preteens should be receiving attention that addresses underlying mental, behavioral and environmental conditions that put them in touch with the juvenile justice system. 'Detention facilities are not mental health or healthcare facilities or safe havens,' she said in a statement. 'Our children deserve better.' Spivey sought unsuccessfully to strike a few provisions in the package — including one she said demonized Black youth — but said she was hopeful negotiations would continue with Judiciary Committee leaders before the final lawmaking step. Among her failed amendments was one to eliminate creation of a 'high-risk juvenile probationer' category that Spivey said would be viewed as a 'super predator' group. She said it would open the door to harsher sentencing and disproportionate harm to youths of color. Another part of LB 684 that remained despite Spivey's protest requires the Office of Probation to generate a list of all juveniles on probation in each county by the first day of the month and then provide it to each law enforcement agency in that county. 'It is unnecessary over-surveillance of those young people,' she said, adding that law enforcement already has access to such information. Spivey was able to garner enough votes to stop the elevation of a penalty if a youth on probation tampers with the young person's electronic monitoring device. Spivey said the offense would, for now, remain a misdemeanor versus a felony. State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha criticized the package as 'logrolling' questionably related bills that were too wide-ranging. He said it creates confusion for constituents, who might wonder why their elected official doesn't support a certain program that is wrapped up in the package. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduced the underlying LB 530 as 'public safety' legislation that aims partly to raise fines for speeding violations and to change the law to help 'vulnerable road users.' Among other bills folded into the package: LB 6, introduced by Bosn and aimed at fentanyl poisoning, calls for enhanced penalties when the person using the controlled substance dies or sustains serious injury. LB 44, by McKinney, allows individuals to file for post-conviction relief up until the age of 21 if the conviction occurred as a minor. LB 124, by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would match a drunken driver's penalty for motor vehicle homicide of an unborn child to the penalty that drunken driver would get for motor vehicle homicide. LB 395, by State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, would allow police access to a sealed juvenile record when someone applies for a concealed handgun permit. LB 404, by State Sen. Robert Hallstrom of Syracuse, authorizes courts to extend a term of probation upon a joint application from the probation officer and the person on probation. LB 600, by State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, authorizes the Department of Transportation to temporarily reduce speed limits on highways under specific conditions such as adverse weather or a traffic congestion. LB 684, by State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, was essentially gutted and replaced by a series of juvenile justice measures, including the lowering of the age at which a youth could be detained in a facility. Bosn said the Judiciary Committee sees the measures as ways to 'improve accountability for juveniles and transparency for law enforcement.' Spivey said the measures were among the most concerning in the package. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Newsweek
26-04-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Adopted Woman Told Dad Never Wanted Her Starts Search, Unprepared for Truth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A California woman who believed her father didn't want her was unprepared for what she discovered when she searched for him. Cami Riepe was adopted at 10 weeks old and raised in a loving family, where her adoption was never a secret. "My mom told me … there was nothing shameful about my story, and I will always be so grateful for them being so open with me," the 27-year-old told Newsweek. Side-by-side view of a then-and-now: Cami Riepe smiles as little girl wearing pink top; and then hugs her biological father at an airport 28 years later. Side-by-side view of a then-and-now: Cami Riepe smiles as little girl wearing pink top; and then hugs her biological father at an airport 28 years later. @ Still, questions about her birth father would come and go throughout her childhood, but it wasn't until she became a mother herself that those quiet curiosities turned into an undeniable pursuit for answers. "I remember holding our newborn daughter looking up at my husband with tears asking, 'Do you think my biological father ever thinks about me?'" Riepe said. "I thought I had truly put everything about my adoption to bed, but all of these feelings and emotions really didn't bubble up until after I became a mom myself." That realization sparked a two-year search for her biological father. During the early days, Riepe was terrified. "I truly only prepared myself for rejection but had gotten to the point that, good or bad, I needed closure," she said. Eventually, Riepe found a man named Tommy Stowe who has a reputation for helping people reconnect with long-lost family members. Within two days, he found a man who could be her father. Riepe had seen a picture of him that her mother had given her two years ago, but it was outdated, and she had no idea what he looked like now. "The second Tommy sent me his current photo, I immediately knew it had to be him," Riepe told Newsweek. "I saw my same blue eyes and absolutely broke down. I just knew it was him." She reached out through Facebook and, while waiting for a response, had also reconnected with her birth mom; she would learn the story she had been told growing up wasn't the full truth. Riepe learned that her biological parents were stationed in the same place while serving i the military but, by the time her mother was pregnant, they were living on opposite sides of the country. Her father told her that he drove more than 50 hours to be there when she was born, only to find out that her adoption was already in motion without his knowledge. He even offered to take her in himself. "Going through my life thinking he didn't want me and that he didn't show up was a pain I wouldn't wish on anyone," Riepe said. "I was very hurt and grieved that part of my story very deeply, especially through my pregnancy and postpartum after I had my daughter." The day after her Facebook message, Riepe and her biological father spoke on the phone for the first time. Six days later, she boarded a plane to meet her father face to face. Documenting her journey in a reel on Instagram (@ the pair are reunited after 28 years. "We literally just held each other and bawled," Riepe told Newsweek. "It was the most unreal experience I've ever had. The moment we embraced, I knew he truly wanted me." For anyone else seeking to find their biological parents, Riepe advised to take care and protect yourself. "I think we can so often focus on all the negative what-ifs, but there are so many beautiful possibilities, too," she said. "Finding my [biological] dad and having this new relationship with him has been my dream come true in every way."
Fox Sports
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox Sports
Nebraska bill to ban transgender students from the bathrooms and sports of their choice advances
Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska bill that would bar transgender students from bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams that correspond with their gender identity has advanced from the first of three rounds of debate — but with a caveat. Sen. Merv Riepe, who helped tank an effort to pass a similar bill last year, agreed Tuesday to provide the 33rd vote needed to break a filibuster against the bill. But only if the bill's sponsor agrees to support his amendment to remove language that would ban bathroom and locker room use, leaving only the ban on sports participation. That amendment will be introduced in the next round of debate, Riepe said. 'They've agreed to it,' Riepe said of the bill's main sponsors. 'They know if they don't, I'll kill it in the next round.' The bill from Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth is a reprisal of one she has introduced repeatedly in recent years. It was billed in 2023 as a companion to another Kauth measure restricting gender-affirming medical care for minors. The medical care bill passed and was enacted, but the bathroom and sports bill failed to advance from committee. Last year, the measure failed to break a filibuster when Riepe and fellow Republican Sen. Tom Brandt joined with 15 Democrats and an independent in the officially nonpartisan Legislature to kill it. This year, the measure gained the vocal backing of Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, who placed it among his legislative priorities for the year, and the bill was rebranded as the 'Stand With Women' act. In that vein, lawmakers who supported the measure spent much of the debate arguing that it was needed to protect women's safety in intimate spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms and to guard women's sports from ostensibly stronger and faster transgender competitors. 'This is not fairness,' Republican Sen. Loren Lippincott said of transgender women competing in women's sports. 'It's a setback for women's sports.' Opponents argued that the bill is discriminatory and targets a population already vulnerable to bullying and abuse. Some also took issue with the idea that women need protection from transgender people. 'As a woman, I don't need protection from transgender women,' Sen. Wendy DeBoer said. 'If I need protection — if I need it at all — it's from a cisgender man.' Kauth pushed back aggressively, sometimes using descriptions offensive to the transgender community. 'If your definition of women is men who believe that they're women, then you're incorrect,' she said. 'A trans woman is a man.' Protesters against the bill wandered the rotunda just outside the legislative chamber doors during the debate. But they remained more subdued than in years past, when hundreds of protesters chanted against anti-trans measures. About 30 supporters of the bill wearing shirts that read 'Stand With Women' filled the seats of one of the chamber's public viewing balconies. Following the vote, at least one person yelled from the balcony, 'Shame on you! Shame on you guys!' in this topic
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Nebraska bill to ban transgender students from the bathrooms and sports of their choice advances
A Nebraska bill that would bar transgender students from bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams that correspond with their gender identity has advanced from the first of three rounds of debate — but with a caveat. Sen. Merv Riepe, who helped tank an effort to pass a similar bill last year, agreed Tuesday to provide the 33rd vote needed to break a filibuster against the bill. But only if the bill's sponsor agrees to support his amendment to remove language that would ban bathroom and locker room use, leaving only the ban on sports participation. That amendment will be introduced in the next round of debate, Riepe said. 'They've agreed to it,' Riepe said of the bill's main sponsors. 'They know if they don't, I'll kill it in the next round.' The bill from Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth is a reprisal of one she has introduced repeatedly in recent years. It was billed in 2023 as a companion to another Kauth measure restricting gender-affirming medical care for minors. The medical care bill passed and was enacted, but the bathroom and sports bill failed to advance from committee. Last year, the measure failed to break a filibuster when Riepe and fellow Republican Sen. Tom Brandt joined with 15 Democrats and an independent in the officially nonpartisan Legislature to kill it. This year, the measure gained the vocal backing of Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, who placed it among his legislative priorities for the year, and the bill was rebranded as the 'Stand With Women' act. In that vein, lawmakers who supported the measure spent much of the debate arguing that it was needed to protect women's safety in intimate spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms and to guard women's sports from ostensibly stronger and faster transgender competitors. 'This is not fairness,' Republican Sen. Loren Lippincott said of transgender women competing in women's sports. 'It's a setback for women's sports.' Opponents argued that the bill is discriminatory and targets a population already vulnerable to bullying and abuse. Some also took issue with the idea that women need protection from transgender people. 'As a woman, I don't need protection from transgender women,' Sen. Wendy DeBoer said. 'If I need protection — if I need it at all — it's from a cisgender man.' Kauth pushed back aggressively, sometimes using descriptions offensive to the transgender community. 'If your definition of women is men who believe that they're women, then you're incorrect,' she said. 'A trans woman is a man.' Protesters against the bill wandered the rotunda just outside the legislative chamber doors during the debate. But they remained more subdued than in years past, when hundreds of protesters chanted against anti-trans measures. About 30 supporters of the bill wearing shirts that read 'Stand With Women' filled the seats of one of the chamber's public viewing balconies. Following the vote, at least one person yelled from the balcony, 'Shame on you! Shame on you guys!'
