The leader of an organization pushing for stronger gun laws in Nebraska was banned from the Capitol on Wednesday for shouting at lawmakers after passage of a bill allowing individuals to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
Melody Vaccaro, executive director of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, is also barred from the Capitol grounds after she yelled “shame” at members of the Legislature moments after the final reading vote on a bill (LB77) from Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon.
Brewer’s bill, which is often referred to as “constitutional carry” by gun rights activists, would allow Nebraskans 21 and older to carry a concealed weapon without first completing a gun safety class and paying a $100 permit fee.
The measure also eliminates local ordinances related to firearms, which drew opposition from city and policy leaders in Lincoln and Omaha in a committee hearing earlier this session. Brewer said 25 other states have similar laws in place now and he believed Nebraskans wanted a similar law.
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In a phone interview, Vaccaro said she anticipated the Legislature would pass LB77 and send the bill to the desk of Gov. Jim Pillen, but said the sight of fourth graders touring the Capitol and watching the legislative proceedings upset her more than she expected.
“I watched all these fourth graders come and go, and I just kept thinking about those Covenant kids, those Uvalde kids, they were in fourth grade, too,” Vaccaro said, referring to recent mass shootings at schools in Tennessee and Texas. “It is shameful.”
In 2020, gun violence became the leading cause of death for U.S. children under the age of 18, surpassing car crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Shortly after the final vote was recorded, Vaccaro, who was among more than two dozen members of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence and Moms Demand Action sitting in the north balcony of the legislative chamber, rose to her feet and yelled “shame” several times at senators.
Vaccaro was led out of the chamber by a sergeant-at-arms and uniformed security and taken to the Capitol security office, where she was notified that she would be banned from the building and grounds for life and later escorted from the building.
“You have been Banned and Barred from the Nebraska State Capitol and the Nebraska State Capitol Grounds,” the trespass warning ban and bar notice read. “You are not to enter the Nebraska State Capitol or the Nebraska State Capitol grounds except for scheduled appointments to conduct business.”
The notice also states that should Vaccaro wish to come to the Capitol, she is required to schedule an appointment. If she would show up unannounced, Vaccaro could be arrested or cited for trespassing as well as failure to obey the lawful order of the Nebraska State Patrol.
Wednesday evening, the patrol said an appeals process for the ban exists under state law, and that the procedure for filing an appeal -- as well as the duration of the existing ban -- would be communicated to Vaccaro directly.
The ban handed down by the Nebraska State Patrol raised questions among lawmakers about whether or not it violated Vaccaro’s First Amendment rights and ability to participate in the democratic process.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said there have been several reactions from spectators in the balconies this year, and added none had resulted in people being banned from the building.
Blood said while she understood why Vaccaro had the reaction she did, she didn’t agree with it. She also added that it was inappropriate for other senators in the chamber to laugh and for anyone to be barred from attending future proceedings.
“I just wanted to make sure we got on record today that we are not always fair and balanced, and to me, the optics are we decide punishment based on who we like and don’t like, and that’s not what the spirit of the unicameral is supposed to be about,” Blood said.
The rules of the Legislature give the presiding officer authority to clear the galleries or the lobby “in the case of disturbance or disorderly conduct,” but do not outline any penalties for citizens who do so.
The ACLU of Nebraska said it was aware of the situation but doesn’t comment on individual cases unless they involve its own clients.
“We are always concerned about government efforts limiting speech,” spokesman Sam Petto said in an email. “When and if we can share more, we will.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Vaccaro said she had more questions than answers if she could no longer observe the Legislature or its committees in person, or participate in any rallies or protests on Capitol grounds.
Several senators indicated they were looking into the matter, but they didn’t have any immediate answers, she said.
“We’ll see what (their) office finds out,” Vaccaro said. “I feel like all the people who would know are in the Capitol, which I am banned from coming to without an appointment.”