List of speakers of the Nebraska Legislature

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Speaker of the Legislature of Nebraska
Incumbent
John Arch
since January 4, 2023
TypeSpeaker
Member ofNebraska Legislature
Term lengthTwo years
Formation1937
First holderCharles J. Warner

The speaker of the Nebraska Legislature is the highest-ranking officer elected from among the membership of the Nebraska Legislature. The speaker presides over the body in the absence of the lieutenant governor.[1] The speaker is generally recognized to be the parliamentary leader of the Nebraska Legislature and, with the approval of the executive board, determines the legislative agenda (the order in which bills and resolutions are considered).[2] The speaker has the privilege of speaking at any stage of the legislature's proceedings in accordance with his or her responsibilities as speaker.[3]

The speaker is second in line to become the Governor of Nebraska if both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor become simultaneously vacant.[4]

Before the creation of this office, Nebraska had a bicameral legislature, and the leaders of the upper and lower houses were, respectively, the president pro tempore of the Nebraska Senate and the speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives.[5]

List[edit]

The following is a list of the speakers of the Nebraska Legislature since it became a unicameral body in 1937.[5]

# Image Name Party[a] Tenure District[b] City of residence Notes
1 Charles J. Warner Rep 1937–1938 25 (18) Waverly Later served as Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska; Father of Jerome Warner, the 18th Speaker; Served during a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor from June 26 to Nov. 8, 1938
2 William H. Diers Dem 1939–1940 24 Gresham
3 Rufus M. Howard Rep 1941–1942 44 (39) Sutherland
4 Robert B. Crosby Rep 1943–1944 45 (38) North Platte Later served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Nebraska
5 C. Petrus Peterson Rep 1945–1946 29 (20) Lincoln
6 Walter R. Raecke Dem 1947–1948 35 (30) Central City
7 Earl J. Lee Rep 1949–1950 15 (11) Fremont
8 C. Edward Hoyt Rep 1951–1952 38 (33) McCook Resigned as senator to accept appointment of Gov. Robert Crosby as assistant agriculture director[6]
9 Otto Julius Prohs Rep 1952 48 (42) Gering Selected to finish the term of Speaker Hoyt
10 Charles F. Tvrdik Dem 1953–1954 7 Omaha
11 Dwight W. Burney Rep 1955–1956 19 (14) Hartington Later served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Nebraska; Served during a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor from Sep. 24, 1955, to Jan. 1, 1957
12 John E. Beaver Rep 1957–1958 16 (12) Beemer
13 Harry L. Pizer Rep 1959–1960 45 (38) North Platte Served during a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor from Sep. 9, 1960, to Jan. 3, 1961
14 Donald L. Thompson Rep 1961–1962 38 (33) McCook
15 William S. Moulton Rep 1963–1964 8 (10) Omaha
16 Kenneth L. Bowen Rep 1965–1966 37 Red Cloud
17 Elvin Adamson Rep 1967–1968 43 Valentine
18 Jerome Warner Rep 1969–1970 25 Waverly Son of Charles J. Warner, the first speaker
19 William H. Hasebroock Rep 1971–1972 18 West Point
20 Richard Proud Rep 1973–1974 12 Omaha
21 Julius W. Burbach Dem 1975–1976 19 Hartington
22 Roland A. Luedtke Rep 1977–1978 28 Lincoln Later served as Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska
23 Richard D. Marvel Rep 1979–1982 33 Hastings
24 William E. Nichol Rep 1983–1986 48 Scottsbluff Later served as Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska
25 William E. Barrett Rep 1987–1990 39 Lexington Later served as a US Representative
26 Dennis G. Baack Rep 1991–1992 47 Kimball
27 Ron Withem Dem 1993–1996 14 Papillion
28 Douglas A. Kristensen Rep 1997–2002 37 Minden Later became chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney[7]
29 Curt Bromm Rep 2003–2004 23 Wahoo
30 Kermit Brashear Rep 2005–2006 4 Omaha Served during a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 2005
31 Mike Flood Rep 2007–2012 19 Norfolk Later served as a US Representative
32 Greg L. Adams Rep 2013–2014 24 York Served during two vacancies in the office of lieutenant governor from Feb. 2 to Feb. 13, 2013, and from Sep. 9 to Sep. 29, 2014
33 Galen Hadley Rep 2015–2016 37 Kearney
34 Jim Scheer Rep 2017–2020 19 Norfolk
35 Mike Hilgers Rep 2021–2022 21 Lincoln Later became the Nebraska Attorney General
36 John Arch Rep 2023–Present 14 La Vista

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Although Nebraska state senators are elected on a nonpartisan basis, party affiliations during the time each individual served as speaker are listed here when known.
  2. ^ Many, but not all, of the Nebraska legislative districts were renumbered in 1964. The current number of the district is listed for all speakers, but if the speaker served prior to 1964, the district number at the time they served is listed in parentheses if it was different.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nebraska Constitution Article III, Section 10", Nebraska Legislature, [T]he Legislature... shall choose its own officers, including a Speaker to preside when the Lieutenant Governor shall be absent, incapacitated, or shall act as Governor.
  2. ^ "Rules of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature: Rule 1, Section 16" (PDF), Nebraska Legislature, pp. 4–5, 2024, The Speaker, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall report to the Legislature the order in which bills and resolutions shall be considered.... The Speaker shall prepare a daily legislative agenda.
  3. ^ "Rules of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature: Rule 1, Section 15" (PDF), Nebraska Legislature, p. 4, 2024, The Speaker ...shall be privileged to speak at any stage of proceedings at any time incident to the duties and responsibilities of his or her office.
  4. ^ "Nebraska Constitution Article IV, Section 16", Nebraska Legislature, In case of the conviction of the Governor on impeachment, his removal from office, his resignation or his death, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the Legislature and such other persons designated by law shall in that order be Governor for the remainder of the Governor's term.
  5. ^ a b State of Nebraska. "Nebraska Blue Book 2022-23". p. 395.
  6. ^ "C. E. Hoyt, 72, Dies", Lincoln Journal Star, Nov 24, 1972, retrieved March 29, 2023
  7. ^ Wendling, Zach (December 6, 2023). "UNK chancellor announces retirement 22 years after taking Central Nebraska role". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
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