43rd District State Senator Tom Brewer of Gordon and District 47’s Steve Erdman of Bayard have both been elected the chairs of legislative committees.
Erdman beat moderate John Cavanaugh of Omaha to head the powerful Rules Committee while Brewer will continue as chair of the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn remains chair of the Revenue Committee while Robert Clements of Elwood is the chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, taking over from Gering’s John Stinner, who left the legislature under term limits.
Tax revision and school funding advocate Tom Briese of Albion heads the Executive Board, Steve Halloran of Hastings will serve another 2 years helming the Ag Committee, and Bruce Bostelman of Brainard remains in charge of Natural Resources.
Former teacher Lynne Walz of Fremont, a Democrat, was beaten in her bid to remain chair of the Education Committee by retired Glenvil farmer and Republican Dave Murman 32-17, the same ratio of Republicans to Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Unicameral.
Murman, critical of last year’s proposed comprehensive sex education standards, cited a Bible passage and said he supported school choice and making parents “the foremost decision maker” in their child’s education.
Two Democrats were elected committee chairman, Justin Wayne for the Judiciary Committee and Terrell McKinney for Urban Affairs. Both are black and from Omaha.
There is a new Clerk of the Legislature for the first time in 45 years, 29-year old Brandon Metzler – who has worked in the clerk’s office since 2017 and was assistant clerk under now-retired Patrick O’Donnell.
Metzler was recommended for the post last month by an 8-member legislative panel. The clerk must be elected every 2 years by the full membership of the Unicameral.