It has been 35 years since members of the Nebraska Legislature had a pay raise and 17 years since term limits took effect.

If lawmakers are wondering why, they simply need to check the actions of some of their colleagues. Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh told fellow senators and a TV audience she was “going to be mean” because a fellow Omaha senator introduced a bill, restricting transgender surgery, she doesn’t like.

But it’s not just the one anti-transgender bill she doesn’t like, she’s going to oppose every one of that senator’s proposals. No, wait a minute, now she says she...