Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D-Omaha) sparked widespread attention Wednesday after removing part of a temporary exhibit at the Nebraska State Capitol commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The display, produced by the conservative nonprofit PragerU and organized by the Nebraska Semi-quincentennial Commission with support from the White House Task Force 250, included portraits of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other Revolutionary-era figures.
Gov. Jim Pillen criticized Cavanaugh’s actions, calling them unnecessary and divisive.
“Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship,” Pillen said.
Security footage shared by the Nebraska State Patrol showed Cavanaugh removing the posters and placing them in her office. The items were later rehung on Capitol walls.
Cavanaugh defended her actions as following procedural rules rather than making a political statement.
She explained that senators are prohibited from placing materials in hallways outside their offices and that she was unaware of the exhibit’s installation that week or its connection to the semi-quincentennial celebration.
“I tried to take them down as gently as I could and not damage any of them, and I stacked them inside my office and I let the State Patrol know that they were there,” she said, according to Trending Politics.
Cavanaugh emphasized she had not reviewed the content of the displays.
The State Patrol confirmed no citations were issued and no visible damage occurred to the artwork.
Legislative Speaker John Arch said Cavanaugh had notified him of her actions beforehand.
The Semi-quincentennial Commission had previously obtained approval from the Nebraska Capitol Commission to host the exhibit, which is scheduled to remain on display throughout the summer during public building hours, according to 1011 NOW.
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit questioned the removal on social media, suggesting the display may have been “vandalized.”
The nonprofit has faced previous criticism for producing content that some educators and historians describe as misleading.
NPR reported that the Founders Museum exhibit has been criticized for blurring historical fact and interpretation, raising questions about its educational use.
Cavanaugh framed the controversy as a procedural matter.
She described Pillen’s social media posts as a distraction from pressing legislative priorities, including Nebraska’s budget shortfall, and argued that using State Patrol security footage for online posts is an inefficient use of public resources.
“This is about following Capitol rules, not about the content of the exhibit,” she said.
Supporters of Pillen and other Republican officials stressed the importance of respecting historical displays while maintaining order in government buildings.
They said the 250th anniversary is an opportunity to honor the nation’s history and that regulations exist to balance public access with security and display standards.
Cavanaugh, a University of Nebraska–Omaha alumna, has been recognized for her public service and community involvement, earning accolades such as the 2024 Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service and the 2023 Outstanding Community Service Award.
Her legislative achievements have also been acknowledged by the ACLU of Nebraska and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The incident highlights the challenges of overseeing public exhibits in government spaces, where procedural rules, historical interpretation and political perceptions intersect.
While the posters have been restored, the episode has reignited discussions on the appropriate management and presentation of historical content in the Capitol.
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