Nebraska GOP state senator inserts Democrat's name into graphic rape passage from Alice Sebold memoir Lucky while calling for the book to be banned

Republican Nebraska State Senator Steve Halloran is facing immense backlash following a stunt on the Senate floor during which he inserted his colleague's name into a passage that described a graphic rape scene.

On Monday, during a debate over a proposed bill written to target obscenity and pornography in materials for K-12 schools, Halloran read from Alice Sebold's memoir 'Lucky.'

The book describes in graphic detail the author getting raped on her college campus during her freshman year.

Halloran, who read some of the brutal passages aloud, repeatedly inserted the name of his colleague 'Senator Cavanaugh' into the text.

'I was grounded on the ground trying to search about the fifth of my clothes, he kicked me and I curled into a ball, I want a b*** *** Senator Cavanaugh,' Holloran read in his stunt. 

'That's language that should not be in front of children,' Holloran said at the end, noting he found the book in 16 schools.  

The stunt drew instant criticism, including from the person he may have referenced, as other elected officials demanded his resignation. So far, Halloran has pushed back and, while apologizing, has not left his position.  

Nebraska state Senator Steve Halloran invoked the name of one of his colleagues Monday during a floor speech in which he read graphic rape passages from a book given to some high schoolers to read

The passages that have caused strain among the legislators came from Alice Sebold's memoir 'Lucky,' which details her rape on the campus of Syracuse University during her freshman year

Ostensibly, the Republican legislator was attempting to underscore the severe and inappropriate nature of the reading material being provided to high school students across the state.

In state legislatures across the country, lawmakers are working to eliminate reading material, which they and some local parents deem inappropriate, from public school libraries. 

It was not entirely clear to which 'Senator Cavanaugh' Halloran was referring, Machaela Cavanaugh, or her brother, state Senator John Cavanaugh - both Democrats.

'He started pumping me again while the base of my spine was crushed into the ground,' Halloran read. 'Glass cut my back and behind, he kneeled back "raise your leg" he said, spread them, "give me a b*** ***," he said.'

On Tuesday, Halloran claimed he was referring to John, who had preceded him in a  speech on the floor.

Immediately following his remarks, Senator Machaela Cavanaugh tearfully called Halloran's performance 'disgusting' and 'unnecessary.'

'Don't start reading rape scene and saying my name over and over again, Senator Halloran,' she said.

'You don't know anything about anyone else's life. And I can tell you that women in this body have been subject to sexual violence.

'I didn't know you were capable of such cruelty,' she said, calling the stunt 'unbecoming' of himself and the legislative body, and adding that others in the chamber on both sides of the aisle had maintained a level of integrity during debate that he had not.

'And I hope some other people who are Republicans will stand up and defend me,' she said.

State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh tearfully rebuked Halloran's use of her name in the graphic rape scene - though Halloran says he was referring to her brother - also state Senator (John) Cavanaugh

Machaela Cavanaugh (left) pictured with her husband and children, called Halloran's stunt 'inappropriate,' 'unnecessary,' 'cruel' and 'unbecoming'

On Tuesday, Halloran apologized for referring to his colleague during the speech on the Senate floor.

'I apologize for interjecting the senators' names in the middle of reading a transcription, transcribed testimony in a public hearing, in reference to a book that is in some schools, and in some schools, required reading,' he said.

'It was a hard thing to read. And no, I was not trivializing rape. I was reading from a book that’s required reading for some students. Should I have interjected the senators' names? No. 

'Sometimes we do things on the floor in the midst of making a statement that we shouldn’t have done.'

Machaela Cavanaugh said on Tuesday that she does not believe Halloran was referring to her brother during the speech.

Machaela (right) serves in the Nebraska state legislature with her brother John Cavanaugh (left) - both are Democrats

Independent state Senator Megan Hunt said she thinks Halloran should resign.

'The problem isn’t that rape survivors have written about their experiences. The problem is standing on a platform as a state senator, and fixing your mouth to tell one of your colleagues to give you [oral sex],' she wrote in an X post.

The youngest member of the chamber, Republican Julia Slama spoke following her colleague's apology, labeling his remarks 'wholly inappropriate' and calling on him to resign.

Republican state Senator Brad von Gillern also denounced Halloran's speech, tearfully saying that as a man and the father of a rape victim he 'could not help but take it personally.'

State Senator Joni Albrecht, also a Republican, and the sponsor of the bill, said to Cavanaugh: 'I'm so sorry your name was injected into it ... I will be the first to stand up and say "I'm sorry."'