Merv Riepe

Mervin Merle Riepe (born July 16, 1942) is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. In 2014, he was elected to the Nebraska Legislature, representing a district in the Omaha metropolitan area.

Personal life and professional career

Riepe was born July 16, 1942, in rural Griswold, Iowa. He graduated from Griswold High School in 1960, then served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1963. In 1968, he received a B.S. in finance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha; in 1970, an M.A. in health policy and management from the University of Iowa.^[1][2]

After leaving the Navy, Riepe worked in the field of health-care management. In 1964, he was named director of the Respiratory Therapy Department at Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha. He eventually served, at various times, as chief operating officer and interim CEO of Bergan Mercy; as president of Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa; and as president of Children's Physicians, a joint venture of Omaha's Children's Hospital & Medical Center and Creighton University. After retiring from Children's Health Network in 2008, he worked as a health-care consultant.^[1][2][3][4]

In 1974, Riepe married Janet Lee Anderson, a teacher at Benson High School in Omaha. The couple produced one son. Janet Riepe was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1978, and died of pneumonia arising therefrom in March 1996.^[5][6] In November 1996, Riepe married Jody Gillispie.^[1]

Political career

Riepe made two unsuccessful attempts to win a seat on the Ralston Public Schools Board of Education. In an election during the 1990s, he ran as an announced candidate; in 2010, he ran as a write-in.^[4]

2014 election

In November 2013, Riepe announced that he would run for the District 12 seat in the Nebraska Legislature. The district, located in southern Douglas County, included the city of Ralston and much of its school district, as well as parts of Omaha's Millard neighborhood. Under Nebraska's term-limits law, incumbent Steve Lathrop was ineligible to run in the 2014 election.^[4][7]

Three candidates entered the race. Riepe, a Republican, stated that he was particularly concerned about health-care issues, and opposed to the proposed expansion of Medicaid in Nebraska under the provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.^[4] Greg Hosch, a Democrat, was the general manager of Horsemen's Park, an Omaha horse-racing track. He had never sought office before, but had lobbied for the racing industry's interests at the Legislature. He stated that he had no fixed agenda, but would work for economic development in the district.^[8][9] Joseph Hering, who described himself as a moderate Republican and a fiscal conservative, was an inventory control specialist for the city of Omaha; he had not previously run for office, but had served an internship in the Legislature in 1992 and 1993.^[10] He stated that his priorities included the passage of a voter-identification law.^[9]

In the nonpartisan primary election, Riepe received 2468 votes, for 58.8% of the total. Hosch came in second, with 1298 votes (30.9%); Hering received 428 votes (10.2%).^[11]

As the top two vote-getters, Riepe and Hosch moved on to the general election. Each questioned whether the other would place the state's interests ahead of his industry's. Riepe suggested that Hosch might push a measure to allow betting on historical videotaped races at Nebraska's racetracks; the Legislature had voted to place such a measure on the 2014 ballot, but the Nebraska Supreme Court had found that aspects of the ballot measure violated provisions of Nebraska's constitution relating to referenda, and had ordered its removal. According to Riepe, the passage of such a measure would lead to decreased keno revenues for Ralston. Hosch, meanwhile, suggested that Riepe might be inclined to represent the interests of the health-care industry rather than those of the Nebraska taxpayer, should the two come into conflict.^[12][13]

Turnout for the general election was approximately double that for the primary. Riepe received 5622 votes, or 64% of the total, to Hosch's 3167 votes, or 36%.^[14]

Legislative tenure

In the 2015 session of the Legislature, Riepe was named to the Agriculture Committee; the General Affairs Committee; and the Health and Human Services Committee.^[15]

References

External links

• Riepe's Nebraska Legislature website
• 2014 Riepe campaign website. Archived 2015-01-16.