LINCOLN- State Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha, who won re-election to his post after being term-limited in 2012, has died.

Pahls, 78, had missed the last few weeks of the 2022 session of the Nebraska Legislature due to an illness that he had kept private.

The Nebraska Examiner learned of his passing on Wednesday. His office said he died of complications of cancer, and requested privacy for his family.

A registered Republican, he was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008. At the end of that term in 2012, he was required to leave the Unicameral due to term limits.

Pahls served a term on the Omaha City Council before reclaiming a seat in the Legislature in 2020, beating Tim Royers by about 1,000 votes in the Millard-area District 31.

In the Legislature, Pahls was somewhat of a maverick on taxes issues, known for arguing against Nebraska’s long list of sales tax exemptions. If they could be eliminated, he said, property taxes could be dramatically decreased.

Praise for Pahl’s public service and notes of condolences came in from state officials, including U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and Gov. Pete Ricketts, who ordered flags lowered to half staff through Thursday.

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