LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers are moving swiftly on what could become the Legislature’s first-ever expulsion of a sitting state senator, suspending rules and setting a hearing date as formal allegations continue to unfold. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to suspend the rule requiring seven days’ notice before a hearing, clearing the way for the Legislature’s Executive Board to hold a hearing Jan. 12 on Legislative Resolution 282, the motion to expel State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst. The board unanimously recommended McKeon’s expulsion after an internal investigation found that he had inappropriately touched a legislative staffer and exhibited a pattern of conduct that violated workplace policy.

McKeon, who denies the severity of the allegations and has called parts of the case exaggerated, now faces a process that could move quickly if the resolution advances. An expulsion motion requires 33 votes and just one round of floor debate to remove a member and would take effect immediately if approved, leaving the seat vacant until an interim appointment and special election can be held. The Executive Board hearing will include invited testimony only, including from McKeon or his attorney and the outside counsel who conducted the investigation.

The decision to suspend the notice rule highlights the urgency lawmakers have placed on resolving the matter early in the legislative session. The case has drawn heightened attention within the Capitol due to the rarity of expulsion proceedings and the broader questions it raises about legislative conduct, accountability and precedent.

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