Nebraska's longest-serving lawmaker commandeers session

The left-leaning independent chastised his fellow senators on Wednesday for rejecting a bill to legalize medical marijuana the night before, saying their decision will hurt suffering children.

Because Nebraska's Legislature lacks formal party leadership, other senators have little choice but to listen silently as Chambers dominates the floor debate, consuming hours at a time and interrogating other senators.

Chambers has served in the Legislature since 1970, except for a four-year stint when he was briefly forced out of office because of term limits, and he's well-known for his encyclopedic knowledge of procedural rules.

Some were mounted by conservative senators who opposed efforts to expand Medicaid and pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The threat of a filibuster prompted another senator to pull a bill that would have protected state funding for faith-based child placement agencies that refuse to work with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender foster parents.