NE Gov. Pillen appoints former schooling board member to serve remaining time period in legislative seat

• Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Fred Meyer to fill a vacant legislative seat.
• Meyer, a former State Board of Schooling member, will full the time period of Sen. Tom Briese who vacated the seat in October.
• Pillen emphasised that Meyer is simply filling the rest of the vacant seat and won’t search election within the upcoming time period.
• Neither the governor nor Meyer will endorse any candidate for the 2024 election.
• Pillen’s earlier appointment of outgoing Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts to the seat drew criticism as a result of Ricketts supported Pillen’s election.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appointed on Wednesday fellow Republican and former State Board of Schooling member Fred Meyer to fill a vacant legislative seat representing eight central Nebraska counties.

Meyer, of St. Paul, will end the time period of former state Sen. Tom Briese, who vacated the seat in October after Pillen tapped him to fill the vacant publish of state treasurer.

Meyer, who owns and operates a cattle farm close to St. Paul, served on the Schooling Board from 1999 to 2010.

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Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated throughout a information convention to announce the appointment that Meyer assured him he’ll solely serve the rest of Briese’s time period, which runs via the tip of 2024, and never search election to the upcoming time period. (AP Picture/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

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Pillen stated throughout a information convention to announce the appointment that Meyer assured him he’ll solely serve the rest of Briese’s time period, which runs via the tip of 2024, and never search election to the upcoming time period. Pillen stated that was necessary to him, as a result of different candidates have already launched campaigns for the seat.

Neither the governor nor Meyer will probably be endorsing anybody operating for the seat in 2024, Pillen stated.

“We consider that the individuals of District 41 are greatest served to seek out out who works the toughest, who will have the ability to earn the seat,” he stated.

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Certainly one of Pillen’s first actions after being elected governor final November was to nominate his predecessor, outgoing Gov. Pete Ricketts, to Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican Ben Sasse. Sasse left the Senate solely two years into his second time period to turn out to be president of the College of Florida.

The transfer was roundly criticized by Democrats and even some Republicans who stated the appointment gave the looks of a pay-to-play deal. Pillen was elected largely due to Ricketts’ backing, which included greater than $1 million of his personal cash to political actions committees supporting Pillen and on to his marketing campaign.

Ricketts introduced this summer time that he’ll search election to the U.S. Senate seat in a particular election subsequent yr.