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LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers gave an early green light Tuesday to the bones of a bill that would enhance security protocols at the state Capitol, despite critics arguing the proposal was “half-baked.”
The Legislature advanced Legislative Bill 1237 in a 37-4 vote, pushing it through its first of three rounds of floor debate. The second round of debate is poised to be consequential in determining the bill’s final fate, based on discussions of a still-developing amendment addressing some of the bill’s critics and supporters.
LB 1237, as written by the Legislature’s Executive Board, would establish a list of weapons and substances that would not be allowed on Capitol grounds without prior approval, including firearms, pepper spray, explosives and spray paint. The bill also would direct the Nebraska State Patrol to implement ways to detect prohibited materials by Jan. 1, 2027, which could lead to metal detectors installed at Capitol entrances.
“We need to find a kind of healthy balance between making sure the public can get here in a timely manner, we’re not restricting their rights too much,” State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, chair of the Exec Board, has said about the bill. “But also making sure that the people who enter this Capitol as guests, senators and staff are also safe.”
The process that led to LB 1237 started last summer, when the Exec Board met with Capitol Security, Patrol members, Pillen administration representatives and legislative leaders to discuss possible options and recommendations for additional security measures in the seat of state government.
The discussions prompted Hansen to announce in November that the Legislature would enact some new security measures for the 2026 legislative session. Some of the measures that have already been implemented included temporary metal detectors and additional security personnel that are stationed outside of high-traffic public hearings with a chance to be controversial.
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In response to concerns from 2nd Amendment advocates, lawmakers passed an amendment Monday to allow people who hold concealed-carry permits to carry firearms within Capitol walls.
Additionally, Hansen said the Exec Board is working on a separate amendment that would remove some non-lethal devices from the list of prohibited items, including pepper spray and tasers. Hansen said the amendment wouldn’t be ready until the second round of debate, and several senators indicated the amendment could determine how they vote on the final bill.
State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced a successful amendment Monday that removed the criminal penalties attached to LB 1237. Without it, violations to the new security policy would be a Class III misdemeanor.
Critics of the bill, including Conrad, repeatedly called LB 1237 “half-baked,” arguing the bill hasn’t been fully fleshed out for what would be such a significant change. State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha said a proposal like this would warrant an interim study before legislation is drafted.
“In order to get it right, we should slow it down,” Conrad said.
Some senators said they doubted the bill would actually accomplish the goal of preventing violence against lawmakers or other state officials. Hansen said LB 1237 was partially prompted by a rise of political violence across the U.S., but Hunt noted most of the cited incidents happened outside state buildings.
State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus — the only Republican senator to oppose LB 1237’s advancement — took issue with the bill’s potential price tag. The Nebraska State Patrol laid out two different options in LB 1237’s fiscal note, which would cost the state between $900,000 and $1.5 million per year. Some critics said they believe those to be underestimations, but Moser said even the estimated amounts would waste money.
However, State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington noted that Nebraska’s Capitol currently has some of the most lax security policies in the country. When speaking with residents of other states, she said they were shocked to hear about Nebraska’s security policies for its Capitol, to the point where they seemed uncomfortable with the prospect of visiting.
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