Nebraska Legislature unanimously votes to advance resolution to expel Sen. Dan McKeon
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Nebraska Legislature’s Executive Board voted unanimously during a two-hour public hearing on Monday to send the resolution pushing for the expulsion of State Senator Dan McKeon to the Senate floor.
The committee heard from Sen. McKeon’s lawyer, Perry Pirsch, who urged senators to choose an alternative to expulsion.
“Expulsion is not simply discipline,” Pirsch said. “It is the legislature nullifying an election and removing a representative chosen by the voters of legislative district 41. This is a matter of historic significance today.”
The resolution comes after a formal investigation found McKeon violated the Nebraska Legislature’s Workplace Harassment Policy when he allegedly made comments and inappropriately touched an employee.
McKeon also pleaded not guilty in early December to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.
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If passed by the Senate floor, McKeon would be ousted from the Nebraska Legislature, making him the first senator to face that punishment.
Pirsch emphasized that the decision could affect Nebraska’s future as a state.
“The resolution itself acknowledges that expulsion has never been done before in Nebraska,” he said. “This alone should cause caution. Not because we have never done it as an excuse to do nothing, but because the first time this body does it, it will set the standard for every future time.”
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Several senators on the board raised questions with Pirsch, including Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, who was concerned about McKeon’s apology sent by email.
“The one was ‘I will try to watch my future comments, but I might still occasionally have a bad joke slip out. Those who are eggshells should avoid me and not engage in conversation.’ By that type of statement, do you believe that those who file a subsequent complaint in this case are simply ‘eggshells’?” Arch said.
“I think that Sen. McKeon and I regret that that was in the press release,” Pirsch replied.
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