Senator Mike McDonnell has served in Nebraska's unicameral legislature since 2016 and has always asked that he be respected for being pro-life, Roman Catholic, and a Democrat. But the Democratic Party of Douglas County was the first to let him know that he was an outlier.
"Douglas County Democrats, instead of respecting it, they decided to punish it," Sen. McDonnell recently shared. "They said, 'You cannot participate. You can't be a delegate. We're not going to share our party resources.' I continued to vote pro-life. The state Democratic Party decided to censure me. I continue to vote pro-life."
Apparently there is no room on the Left for dissent; abortion is a fundamental part of the party's platform.
"The Nebraska Democratic Party will continue to stand up for reproductive freedom and the human rights of the LGBT community," Nebraska Democrat Chair Jane Kleeb has stated. "Our decision to censure Sen. McDonnell was never about him being a pro-life Catholic. Our decision was based on our party reaffirming our core values to protect women's ability to make health decisions and to keep politicians out of our personal health decisions."
That position has made the Nebraska Legislature "filibuster proof" for the GOP.
"When … they say, 'Well, we don't want you here, and we're not going to share our resources with you,' that hits you pretty hard, but it also makes you appreciate something about our democracy: the idea of being able to participate," McDonnell said in his press conference. "Today I am announcing I am now going to be a registered Republican in the state of Nebraska."
He has pledged to continue voting pro-life and practicing his faith, as he has done for 40 years, except now he will be doing so in a party that respects life.
