Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh (Courtesy: The Law Offices of Scott Lautenbaugh)
Nebraska lawmakers are offering their condolences as they remember the life of former State Senator Scott Lautenbaugh, who passed away on Friday.
Lautenbaugh was 59. His cause of death is not known at this time.
Senator Lautenbaugh was an attorney and operated a private practice in Omaha. He served as Douglas County Election Commissioner from 2000 to 2003, and was appointed to the Legislature by Governor Dave Heineman in 2007 following the resignation of Senator Mick Mines. Lautenbaugh was elected to serve the remainder of Senator Mines’ term, and reelected in 2010 for an additional four year term.
Lautenbaugh served on several committees during his time in the Unicameral, notably as the Chairman of the Rules Committee.
Two months before the end of his term in 2014, Lautenbaugh resigned from the Legislature to become a lobbyist.
Several lawmakers have expressed their sympathies:
U.S. Congressman Mike Flood —
“I am stunned that my former colleague Scott Lautenbaugh passed away this morning. He was an enterprising, creative, and skilled orator who challenged the status quo and fought for conservative values. In the legislature, he championed fair election laws and was an early advocate for school choice. We are praying for his family and will long remember his incredible sense of humor and his friendship.”
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer —
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of my former colleague Scott Lautenbaugh this morning. Scott was a valuable member of the Legislature and of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. I enjoyed working with him on the infrastructure needs of Nebraska. He helped build a stronger Nebraska and was always guided by his conservative values.”
U.S. Congressman Don Bacon —
We were saddened to hear about the passing of our friend Scott Lautenbaugh. Our prayers are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/74jzSxQ1Rt
— Don Bacon 🇺🇸 🥓 ✈️ 🏍️ (@DonJBacon) December 16, 2023
Douglas County Election Commission —
The Douglas County Election Commission and Brian W. Kruse, Election Commissioner, mourn the passing of Scott Lautenbaugh and extend sympathy to his family. We are grateful for his leadership of fair and free elections in Douglas County from 2000 to 2003 as Election Commissioner.
— Douglas Co Elections (@dcElections) December 16, 2023
Senator Julie Slama, who included a 2019 legislative transcript where former Senator Ernie Chambers referenced an alleged cigar shared between Slama and Lautenbaugh. Slama seemingly admitted to the stogie —
We mourn the loss of former State Senator and Douglas County Election Commissioner Scott Lautenbaugh.
In 2019, Senator Chambers accused me of smoking a cigar with Scott outside the Capitol over lunch hour.
Yep, that was me- and I’ll be lighting up another in Scott’s honor. pic.twitter.com/AscoC8QoEh
— Senator Julie Slama (@SenatorSlama) December 16, 2023