LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers are preparing to suspend legislative rules to speed up the process of expelling a state senator for the first time in state history.

The Executive Board, a group of legislative leaders that serve as the human resources arm of Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan Legislature, filed Legislative Resolution 282 on Wednesday, officially making the motion to pursue the expulsion of State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst.

In a sign of how seriously lawmakers are taking the matter, which involves a formal complaint about McKeon’s behavior from at least one legislative staffer, the expulsion resolution was the first measure introduced in the 2026 session.

State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the Exec Board chair, noted he intends to push to suspend the Legislature’s rules requiring seven days of notice before a hearing is scheduled so the board can hold its hearing Jan. 12. Hansen said the plan is for lawmakers to debate the rules suspension motion Thursday.

The Exec Board recommended expelling McKeon following allegations that he had inappropriately touched a legislative staffer, allegations he denies. But the board also noted what it described as a “demonstrated pattern of behavior.”

The alleged incident with the staffer prompted the Legislature’s investigation separate from a Nebraska State Patrol criminal investigation that led to McKeon being cited for misdemeanor public indecency in September.

The criminal allegation has since been downgraded to a misdemeanor disturbing the peace charge, to which McKeon has pled not guilty after initially attempting to plead no contest but changing his mind.

The incident took place at an end-of-session party last spring, according to the internal investigation conducted by outside counsel Tara Paulson. The staffer claimed McKeon made a joke about going to Hawaii to “get laid” and smacked her rear end after delivering the joke, according to Paulson’s report.

McKeon disputes this version of events, and has previously claimed the incident was “exaggerated and mischaracterized.”

In Paulson’s report, she noted McKeon’s perspective of the incident is that he said he hoped while the staffer was in Hawaii she got “a Hawaiian lei.” In a letter he sent to senators Monday, McKeon claimed the staffer initially said she and her husband were thinking of vacationing in Vegas, and, not being a fan of Vegas, he suggested she go to Hawaii to “get a Hawaiian lei.”

Paulson’s report concluded that McKeon’s actions did not constitute “actionable sexual harassment,” but added she thought McKeon’s actions were inappropriate and his response to the investigation did not demonstrate remorse.

“I found the senator’s demeanor during the investigation to be puzzling,” Paulson said in her report. “During my questioning, the senator responded in a joking and noticeably lackadaisical manner, a demeanor that was also observed and commented on by all witnesses interviewed.”

Hansen declined to comment on why the Exec Board unanimously voted to recommend McKeon be expelled, but said there would be more information that he expected to come out as the process continued.

The resolution lists several additional allegations against McKeon, including that he made “jokes involving the sexual function of a male in the presence of two female staffers,” during his first week in office, and used “unprofessional and inappropriate language to describe colleagues, as well as individuals of other races.”

“Senator Dan McKeon has brought the Legislature into disrespect and disrepute and has shaken the confidence of fellow members of the Legislature that the Senator from District 41 would be able to refrain from continued activity that is contrary to senatorial traditions of decorum,” the resolution reads.

McKeon, in a written response to the Exec Board, argues that the board’s assertions include “material inaccuracies and unsupported characterizations.” He said he has not received any “reports, findings or notice” of the other allegations mentioned, so he is unable to rebut them.

Among the actions the Exec Board listed as part of the alleged “pattern of behavior,” Paulson’s report says McKeon attended an event at the Scottish Rite Temple where the employee was present on the same day the board instructed McKeon to avoid social gatherings where legislative employees were present. The staffer said in the report that McKeon “intentionally placed himself within eyeshot” of her throughout the event. McKeon said in the report that he did not recall seeing the staffer.

In a written response to Hansen, McKeon argued he was not prohibited from attending legislative or public events, only to avoid contact with the accuser.

The fuller legislative investigation report also noted that McKeon sent a text to a different legislative employee who shares an office with the staffer and wrote that the staffer “seems to be difficult to work with.” McKeon has denied this, claiming he instead asked “a single, limited question of an acquaintance in a good-faith effort to better understand why the accusation had been made.”

“The question was posed solely to gain context and insight into the concerns raised, not to disparage, label, or undermine the complainant in any way,” McKeon said in his letter.

Kathleen Neary, the attorney representing the staffer, declined to comment on the resolution.

McKeon said Wednesday that he intends to let the process play out to find out where the other senators land.

“A match is incomplete until the third quarter is done,” McKeon said, calling upon his prior experience as a youth sports coach and referee.

How The Expulsion Process Works

To expel a member of the Nebraska Legislature, first a senator must introduce a legislative resolution presenting the motion. That resolution is then referred to a committee for a public hearing.

Per the Legislature’s rules, there must be seven days between the notice of a public hearing and the date of the legislative hearing (In McKeon’s case, the Legislature is considering suspending this rule). It’s up to the committee to determine whether the public hearing will include only invited testimony, or open it up to public comment.

Following the hearing, the committee must vote to advance the resolution to floor debate. If the resolution advances, it can be scheduled for floor debate the next day.

An expulsion motion requires just one round of floor debate and needs 33 votes to remove a sitting senator. If successful, the motion would take effect immediately and the legislative seat would become vacant until the governor appoints a replacement.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/07/motion-filed-to-expel-mckeon-fro...