LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — On the first day of the 2026 legislative session, Nebraska lawmakers were asked Wednesday to consider a motion to expel a fellow senator accused of making a sexually-charged comment to a legislative staffer and touching her inappropriately during a session-end party last year.
If lawmakers vote next week to expel the 59-year-old Sen. Dan McKeon, a Republican in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature, it will be the first time the body has ever done so.
The unprecedented move follows a complaint from the staffer that McKeon said she should “get laid” on her vacation and patted her on her buttocks last May during a party at the Lincoln Country Club attended by state lawmakers, staffers and lobbyists.
More attention has focused on sexual harassment within state legislatures nationwide. At least 156 state lawmakers across 44 states have been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct since 2017, when The Associated Press began tracking such incidents amid the #MeToo movement. Of those, 56 have resigned or been expelled from office. A nearly equal number have faced some other type of repercussion, such as losing committee or party leadership positions.
A report on the Nebraska complaint was compiled by an outside law firm at the request of the Legislature's Executive Board and released Wednesday. It found that McKeon has “a reputation for making jokes and that some of those jokes are unprofessional and/or inappropriate for the workplace.”
The report determined that McKeon's conduct did not rise to a level of sexual harassment or retaliation that is actionable under state or federal discrimination law, but that didn't mean it was acceptable. It said McKeon's conduct did violate the Nebraska Legislature's workplace harassment policy, and that lawmakers “may, in their discretion, censure, reprimand or expel the senator for his conduct and comments.”
After interviewing the woman, McKeon and others, the attorney who wrote the report found that the woman, McKeon and another staffer had been discussing vacation plans at the May 29 party when McKeon asked whether the woman was “going to Hawaii to get laid,” she said. McKeon characterized the remark as a joke in which he said he hoped she would get a Hawaiian lei while in Hawaii.
“Complainant was not vacationing in Hawaii so this comment was inconsistent with the discussion of vacation plans,” the report said.
The staffer also said McKeon patted her behind. McKeon initially denied touching the woman, the report said, but later said he may have touched her back or lower back “or even rear end,” but insisted it was not intended to be sexual.
The report also said that following the complaint, McKeon was instructed by Sen. Ben Hansen, chairman of the Executive Board, on June 2 not to attend social gatherings where staffers would be present. Despite this, McKeon attended another party that night also attended by staffers — including the woman who filed the complaint against him — according to the report.
Nearly a month later, urged by Hansen to “accept responsibility for what he was alleged to have done” McKeon sent the woman a note telling her she should find it within herself to forgive him “because that is what the Bible instructs people to do,” the report said.
Then, in August, McKeon texted another staffer who shares an office with the woman, saying she “seems to be difficult to work with,” the report found.
An investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol ultimately led to McKeon being charged with a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace. McKeon has pleaded not guilty.
McKeon, who attended Wednesday's opening session, declined to comment on the report itself. But his remarks on the complaint against him and the possibility of being expelled were in line with the report's findings, falling back on religious references by saying that his name, Daniel, means “just” in Hebrew and remarking “we're all sinners” when asked about accusations that he's often made inappropriate jokes in the workplace.
He said he has no plans to step down, despite calls from leaders of his own party — including Republican Gov. Jim Pillen — to resign. But he seemed ready to accept that he might be forced out, saying he expects any vote in the full Legislature to “be pretty close.”
“It is what it is,” he said. “I'm not going to cry about it or anything.”
The Legislature's Executive Board will hold a hearing Monday on the resolution to expel McKeon. If it's voted out of committee, the full Legislature could debate it as soon as Tuesday and would need 33 votes to pass.
If McKeon is expelled, he would be the nation's 57th state lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct to have left office via expulsion or resignation since 2017.
State Sen. Daniel McKeon takes notes during the first day of Nebraska's 2026 legislative session, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
State sen. Daniel McKeon sits during the first day of Nebraska's 2026 legislative session, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
Houston (12-5) at Pittsburgh (10-7)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC.
BetMGM NFL odds: Texans by 3 1/2.
Against the spread: Texans 9-8; Steelers 8-8-1.
Series record: Steelers lead 8-5.
Last meeting: Texans beat Steelers 30-6 on Oct. 1, 2023, in Houston.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 38-30; Steelers beat Ravens 26-24.
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (14), pass (22), scoring (13).
Texans defense: overall (1), rush (6), pass (4), scoring (2).
Steelers offense: overall (25), rush (26), pass (22), scoring (15).
Steelers defense: overall (26), rush (13), pass (29), scoring (17).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-17; Steelers plus-12.
QB C.J. Stroud will make his fifth career playoff start Monday and a victory will make him the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win a postseason game in each of his first three seasons, joining Joe Flacco, Hall of Famer Otto Graham and Russell Wilson. The 24-year-old has had at least 200 yards passing in six straight road games and has thrown for 245 yards or more in three of his four playoff games. In the six games since his return after missing three because of a concussion, he has thrown eight touchdown passes with just three interceptions.
WR DK Metcalf. The two-time Pro Bowler returns this week after serving a two-game suspension for initiating physical contact with a fan in Detroit in late December. Pittsburgh's offense struggled without him in the muck in Cleveland on Dec. 28 but bounced back against Baltimore, with Aaron Rodgers throwing for a season-high 294 yards. Metcalf had been warming up at the time of his suspension. His presence gives the Steelers a legitimate deep-threat option provided the offensive line gives Rodgers enough time to throw while facing one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.
Steelers offensive tackles Dylan Cook and Troy Fautanu against Texans edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Cook, who began the season on the practice squad, has filled in capably after taking over for injured starter Broderick Jones, while Fautanu has thrived this season after an injury-marred rookie season in 2024. Anderson and Hunter combined for 27 sacks, and Houston's best chance at winning the first road playoff game in franchise history will start with Anderson and Hunter making life difficult for Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, who will be making the 22nd playoff start of his 21-year career.
Texans: DE Denico Autry (knee), OL Tytus Howard (ankle), RB Jawhar Jordan (ankle), CB Kamari Lassiter (ankle) did not practice on Thursday. T Trent Brown (ankle/knee), LB Jamal Hill (calf), DT Sheldon Rankins (elbow), S Jaylen Reed (forearm) and CB Derek Stingley Jr. (oblique) were limited on Thursday.
Steelers: Pittsburgh is surprisingly healthy heading into its first home playoff game in five years, though RB Jaylen Warren did sit out practice midweek because of an illness.
This is the first playoff meeting between Pittsburgh and Houston. The Steelers have won three of the past four games between the two clubs, though the Texans drilled Pittsburgh 30-6 in Houston two years ago, which proved to be an early sign of what the Texans were building under then first-year coach DeMeco Ryans. ... The Steelers hold a 3-1 advantage in games played at Acrisure Stadium. Houston's lone victory in Pittsburgh came during its first trip on Dec. 8, 2002, when the Texans used three defensive scores to pull off a 24-6 stunner in a game that was played when current Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was just 14 months old.
The Texans are in the playoffs as a wild-card team for the first time, where they’ll look to win their first postseason road game after losing their first six away from Houston. … It’s their third straight trip to the playoffs. … Houston has tied a franchise record with a nine-game winning streak. It’s the longest winning streak by a team entering the playoffs since San Francisco took a 10-game run into the 2022 postseason. … The Texans are the fifth team since 1990 to open a season 0-3 and reach the postseason and the first team to do it twice after their 2018 team also made such a turnaround. … Houston's 12 wins are tied with the 2012 team for most in a regular season in franchise history. … Houston’s defense led the NFL in total yards allowed (277.2) and ranked second by allowing 17.4 points a game. … RB Woody Marks ranks sixth among rookies with 703 yards rushing this season. He has had at least 75 yards of offense in two straight road games. … WR Nico Collins leads the Texans with 1,117 yards receiving, his third straight 1,000-yard season. Collins has had at least five receptions in each of his four playoff games. … WR Jayden Higgins had the second-most touchdown receptions by a rookie in franchise history with six, which was tied for second among rookies in the NFL this season. … TE Dalton Schultz ranked third among tight ends with 82 receptions and his 777 yards ranked sixth. … DE Danielle Hunter ranked third in the NFL with 15 sacks for his seventh season with at least 10 sacks. He has a sack in four straight games. … DE Will Anderson Jr. tied for fourth in the NFL with a career-high 20 tackles for loss and had a career-best 12 sacks. … LB Azeez Al-Shaair led the team with 103 tackles for his third straight season with at least 100 tackles. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has career highs with nine tackles for loss and four passes defensed this season. … CB Kamari Lassiter tied for fifth in the NFL with a career-high 17 passes defensed. … CB Derek Stingley had 15 passes defensed and tied for the team lead with four interceptions, including his first interception return for a TD. … K Ka’imi Fairbairn was selected AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after tying a franchise record with six field goals in a Week 18 win against the Colts. His tiebreaking 43-yard kick with 12 seconds left gave him 44 field goals this season, which ties David Akers (2011) for most field goals made in a season in NFL history. ... The Steelers are back in the playoffs for a third straight year and the 13th time in coach Mike Tomlin's 19-year tenure. ... Pittsburgh used a 4-1 sprint to finish the regular season to capture its eighth AFC North title under Tomlin. ... The Steelers carry a six-game playoff losing streak into their meeting with Houston, tied with Miami for the longest active postseason losing skid in the NFL. ... Pittsburgh is 23-0 in its past 23 scheduled Monday night home games, a streak that goes back to 1991. The only loss on Monday night during that span came in 2020, when the Steelers fell to Washington in a contest that was pushed back from Sunday to Monday as part of the scheduling havoc brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The Steelers are making their 36th overall playoff appearance in team history, third in the NFL behind Dallas and Green Bay (both with 38). ... Pittsburgh is 21-11 all time at home in the playoffs. ... Rodgers is 11-10 all time in the playoffs and has won at least one postseason game in five of his past six appearances. ... Pittsburgh LB T.J. Watt is looking for the first playoff victory of his career. The perennial Pro Bowler returned last week from a three-game absence while recovering from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung to grab the ninth interception of his career. ... The Steelers are one of two playoff teams to not feature a 1,000-yard rusher or 1,000-yard receiver. The Los Angeles Chargers are the other. ... Pittsburgh's playoff victory drought has been marked by falling into early deficits. The Steelers have been outscored 143-47 in the first half during their six-game playoff losing streak. ... Pittsburgh RB Jaylen Warren had career bests in yards rushing (958) and yards from scrimmage (1,291).
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans talks to the media following an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) walks off the field following an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
