Joni Albrecht
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|---|---|
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| Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 17th district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2017 (2017-01-04) | |
| Preceded by | Dave Bloomfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joni Jones (1958-07-28) July 28, 1958 (age 65) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Michael Albrecht (m. 2010) |
| Children | 6 |
| Occupation | Farmer |
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Joni Albrecht (née Jones; born July 28, 1958) is an American politician who has served in the Nebraska Legislature from the 17th district since 2017.[1][2] She previously served on the Papillion City Council and Sarpy County Board of Commissioners.
Albrecht opposes abortion, and has introduced several bills to restrict it in the state of Nebraska.[3]
In 2017, Albrecht told the Lincoln Journal Star that she was "shocked" by the number of abortions in the state of Nebraska, commenting that "[w]e need to start talking about things differently and not thinking that it's just so easy to just take a life."[3] On the subject of heartbeat bills being passed in numerous states in 2017, Albrecht commented that she was excited, "but I hope that we're all mindful of what's right for the woman."
In 2021, Albrecht introduced a resolution in the Nebraska Legislature recognizing Julie Schmit-Albin, the daughter of Nebraska Senator Loran Schmit. Among other things, the resolution praised Schmit-Albin for having "successfully shepherded numerous significant pro-life bills through the process to be signed into law by Nebraska governors". The resolution also praised Schmit-Albin as "never one to let a public official waffle on pro-life legislation", and recognized her as the director for the Nebraska Right to Life organization for thirty years, starting in 1989; the resolution also cites the Lincoln Journal Star, which wrote "Check with Schmit-Albin if you want to win" of her political influence.[4] The resolution was adopted by the Nebraska Legislature.[5]
In 2021, the Nebraska Department of Education proposed new state health education standards that would include lessons for kindergarteners about family structures, including families with same-gender parents. The standards would also teach first-graders about gender identity and gender stereotypes, and teach sixth-graders about sexual orientation. Albrecht was part of a group of 30 state legislators that signed a letter urging the Nebraska Department of Education not to adopt the standards.[6][7] The standards would have been optional if approved.[7]
Albrecht served on the Papillion City Council from 1998 to 2005 and the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2010.[1][8]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Independent | Joni Albrecht | 3,963 | 72.7% | |
| Independent | Sheryl Lindau | 1,489 | 27.3% | |
| Total votes | 5,452 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Independent | Joni Albrecht | 8,310 | 68.0% | |
| Independent | Sheryl Lindau | 3,907 | 32.0% | |
| Total votes | 12,217 | 100.0 | ||
