Apr 01, 2021

Senators OK Lincoln business lobbyist for health board

Posted Apr 01, 2021 2:00 PM

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln business lobbyist and Republican operative has won confirmation to Nebraska’s state health board on despite criticism from a handful of Democratic lawmakers.

Senators voted 37-7 to confirm Bud Synhorst to the state Board of Health.

The board sets rules for a variety of health care professions, including doctors and nurses, and regulates the people who work in those fields.

Synhorst is a former Nebraska Republican Party executive director who now serves as president of the Lincoln Independent Business Association, a conservative-leaning group with members that were openly critical of the city’s coronavirus mask mandate.

He was appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, a fellow Republican.