Neb. senator apologizes after colleague accuses her of removing Capitol exhibit items

Senator Mikayla Cavanaugh apologized on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Jan. 9 after a colleague accused her of removing authorized materials from a Capitol exhibit.

During a point of personal privilege, Senator Storm urged the Legislature’s executive board to "take appropriate disciplinary action" after saying that surveillance footage and photos show Senator Mikayla Cavanaugh "vandalizing state property by removing several pieces from the capitol walls without authorization and holding them in her office." Storm said the exhibit — installed Jan. 5 and authorized by the Nebraska Capitol Commission — was part of a White House initiative and argued that "a sitting senator should be held to at least the same standard" as private citizens.

Later in the same session, Senator Kavanaugh addressed colleagues directly. "I am sorry. What I did on Wednesday, I should not have done," she said, adding that she had regretted her actions, had been trying to apologize individually, and hoped the remarks would "be a reset for us" for the remainder of the session.

The clerk’s earlier remarks identified the exhibit as a "Founders Museum" display authorized by the Nebraska Capitol Commission; Storm told legislators the display included images and portraits installed as part of that exhibit. Storm recommended the executive board consider censure or other discipline "if deemed appropriate." The transcript records Storm’s allegation and Kavanaugh’s apology but does not record any formal executive-board action or a vote on discipline during the session.

The session proceeded with other business, including the withdrawal of LB729 and a batch of new bill introductions. The executive board’s next steps, if any, were not announced on the floor that day.