I was introduced to Pete Ricketts when he was running for the Senate. My neighbor worked for his dad, and Ricketts stopped by and invited me to join his team for a town parade. I asked how he would help the poor in my state. It wasn’t on his agenda so I said no. He lost to Deb Fisher.
When he ran for governor, I cared about our state, and for good reason. His eight years as governor were the result of malfeasance. The Legislature passed a bill overriding his veto to end the death penalty. The Coliseum in Rome was lit up in celebration. He then used his own money to help launch a petition to advance his desire for its return.
Under his administration, the prison system suffered enormously. Prisoners are housed at 149 percent of capacity. During the pandemic, he has fought mayors who are taking steps to keep people safe and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.
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Ricketts opposes the state’s Medicaid expansion. Under his watch, AltEn produced ethanol from seeds covered in chemicals that poisoned wildlife and drinking water, and near the wells that supply the city of Lincoln.
He used his money to support right-wing candidates in our Legislature, and most importantly, he funded the campaign of our current Governor, who in turn appointed Ricketts to the vacant Senate seat. We need to keep money and Pete Ricketts out of politics.
