Nebraska State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha issued an apology Friday for removing signs from a Capitol wall outside her office earlier this week.
Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha – District 6 (Photo: Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)
Gov. Jim Pillen posted a Capitol security video Wednesday showing Cavanaugh removing posters from a first-floor wall. The signs were part of “The Road to Liberty” exhibit commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, commissioned by the Trump administration and developed by conservative nonprofit PragerU. The displays were scheduled to remain through the summer.
Pillen called the decision a “shameful and selfish bad example.” Cavanaugh’s said she believed the displays violated Capitol Commission rules limiting public displays and did not know who authorized the signs. The signs were authorized by the Capitol Commission, the body responsible for managing the building and its grounds.
Cavanaugh held the signs briefly in her office, before she contacted the Nebraska State Patrol—which oversees capitol security—and the signs were returned.
On Friday, the Legislature’s third-day in session, Sen. Jared Storm of David City called on the Legislature’s Executive Board to discipline Cavanaugh, including a possible censure.
“If a private citizen were to remove authorized property from the walls or offices of the State Capitol, whether artwork, furniture, or exhibits, they would be held accountable for that conduct. A sitting Senator should be held to at least the same standard,” said Storm. “The conduct in question is not a minor political protest. It is a serious lapse of decorum, judgment, and respect for the rules of the institution norms of the State Capitol.”
Senator Jared Strom of David City – District 23 (Photo: Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)
Cavanaugh addressed the body just before adjournment, responding to Storm.
“I take what he said to heart. I take it seriously. I am sorry,” she said. “What I did on Wednesday, I should not have done. I have regretted it pretty much ever since. And I regret putting all of my colleagues in the position to have to deal with the repercussions of my actions.”
Cavanaugh thanked her colleagues for giving her “grace” and said she hoped the body could “move forward in a productive way for the remainder of this session.” She also apologized directly to Capitol Commission staff.
“I don’t want to be what stands between us and good policy for the people of Nebraska,” she said. “And I see that what I did on Wednesday is currently doing that.”
As of Friday, no criminal charges have been filed, nor has any disciplinary action been taken by the Executive Board against Cavanaugh.