(LINCOLN, NE) Less than two weeks after Nebraska's lieutenant governor abruptly resigned, the Cornhusker State now has a new second in command. Lavon Heidemann is filling the position left open when Rick Sheehy stepped down. He was sworn in Wednesday at a press conference in Lincoln.
Heidemann is originally from Elk Creek, Nebraska, in the southeast corner of the state. He spent two terms in the unicameral representing the first district and serving as appropriations committee chairman for 6 years. Most recently, voters elected him to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents in November. He resigned to accept the governor's job offer, a decision he says was difficult but worth it.
"My eight years in the legislature, I love this building. I love what we do in this state, I love this state. And if I can make a small difference to making this state just a little bit better, that's what drew me to this job," says Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann.
Heidemann's seat on the Board of Regents will now need to be filled. The governor says his office will work out those details in the coming days. Heidemann replaces Rick Sheehy, who resigned February 2nd after the Omaha World-Herald asked him about thousands of phone calls he made to four women on his *state issued* cell phone.
Learn more about Nebraska's new lieutenant governor: http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/news/2013/02/13_lt_gov.html
Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@siouxlandnews.com.
