Merv Riepe

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There is a used coffee mug and merv Repee's capital office.
It reads, quote, never underestimate the power of a stubborn German.
Those words might get recycled in Land. On his political headstone.
Mervyn Merle Repee of Griswold, Iowa at eighty two, state
senator from District twelve is running circles around the other

(00:21):
forty eight members of the Nebraska Unicameral, not with his
body but his politics. The nerdy former Navy corman and
hospital administrator from Ralston is turning heads and raising temperatures again.
On Mondays, he's a conservative Republican. By Wednesday, he's a
moderate centrist, occasionally stumbling to the left. By Friday, he's

(00:43):
a champion of the progressive movement. Depends on the day,
depends on the issue. That behavior has gotten him elected, defeated,
elected again, Praised and condemned makes for very good copy.
A lot of it. Abortion restrictions followed by a pologies
Medicaid expansion, followed by ways to get poor people more healthcare.

(01:05):
LGBTQ and winner take all. Throw in the number thirty three,
as in the thirty third vote, which is the snowplow
for legislation in the Nebraska unicamer If a bill gets
thirty three votes, the opponents can't stop a vote on it.
Merv has been number thirty three a lot lately, and
even though he makes it look like the grandfatherly octagenarian,

(01:29):
lovable senior citizen, make no mistake, the spotlight warms those
eighty two year old bones. Ignore what he says he
likes being number thirty three, he killed a near total
abortion ban, blocked a girl's protection bill. As number thirty
three four times, he voted to change Nebraska to a

(01:50):
winner take all electoral state, number one on the Nebraska
GOP Christmas list. President Trump was so worried about the
blue dye making Kamala Harris the president he made a
personal phone called a Repee, smooched his rear end, and
got a verbal commitment. Repee said, at the time, I
was worried that Harris might win too. She didn't new situation.

(02:15):
When the bill to change came up in the first
round debate earlier this month, repe was a knull thought
it was extreme, even though forty eight other states do it.
It's infuriating to institutional Republicans but gets him a lot
of respect in the chamber. Even his political opponents admit
nobody has a thicker hide or a stiffer backbone. Be

(02:38):
careful putting him in a box he doesn't fit. Leans
toward the bushes politically, even stole W's compassionate conservative brand.
And then again, he's on record reducing on employment benefits
and lowering the age for juveniles to be charged as adults.
Governor Jim Pillen leaned on MERV to help last summer

(02:59):
with proper party tax relief. The special session ended with
repe lecturing the governor on process and transparency and no
tax relief for his Ralston property owners. He's an algorithm nightmare.
Opposed expanding medicaid for those who need injectors for severe
allergic reactions, but wanted more money to fight obesity. Hates's

(03:21):
government overreach, but says we need to keep kids from vaping.
But two issues have him loved and hated simultaneously. In
twenty twenty three, he pledged to support for a virtual
total ban on all abortions in Nebraska, came back later
and admitted he was wrong, and tried to force a
vote on an amendment that would ban them. After just
twelve weeks. The Lieutenant governor presiding over the legislature twisted

(03:45):
arms did not allow a vote on the amendment, so
Merv pulled his support for the bill. He was the
pro choice crowd's newest hero, vilified by the pro lifers.
A year later, a bill with a twelve week ban
was passed into law. The other one involves transgenderism. Conservatives,
almost universally across Nebraska and the country say you're welcome

(04:06):
to be one, but we won't tolerate sex changes on kids.
Trans girls can't compete on girls teams or use bathrooms
our locker rooms. Last year, he was one of two
Republicans who declared present but not voting, which allowed the
Democrats to filibuster it to death. He's ready to do
it again after the same bill passed the first of
three rounds of debate this week with a Repee warning,

(04:29):
take the bathroom and locker room restrictions out or I'm
a no. Well see Merv. Protecting privacy of girls and
women is the point Q outrage. With all of that,
will he run for reelection next year? He's going to
keep us guessing