Limiting guns, allowing pets and canceling prayer among proposed

“That would be safer for everyone,” she said, but she noted that “emotions can run high” during legislative proceedings, so that is the focus of her legislative rules proposal.

Gun rights advocates openly carrying guns, as allowed by state law, filled a Capitol hallway leading to a legislative committee room in 2020 as they expressed opposition to proposed gun control legislation.

“It was one of my worst days here,” Cavanaugh said, recalling the intimidation that she said was on display. “I was traumatized by those events.

“You have the right to bear arms,” she said, “but not without restrictions” that have been recognized as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“A lot of people who work in the Capitol would prefer that weapons are not brought into the building” by people other than law enforcement officers, Cavanaugh said.

Three years ago, one of the bills receiving a committee hearing was a proposal that she introduced that would deny guns to people who were convicted of domestic violence or who had protection orders issued against them.

Among other rules changes that have been proposed by senators were an end to the Legislature’s daily opening prayer and a new rule allowing pets to be brought inside the Capitol.

Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha authored both of those proposals along with 14 other rules changes.