Carol Hudkins

Hudkins was born in North Platte, Nebraska. She graduated from high school in Waverly, then attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She married Larry Hudkins in 1964; the couple farmed near Malcolm, and Hudkins worked as a medical transcriptionist. She was elected to the Malcolm school board, and served as its chair.[1][2]

In 1992, Hudkins ran for the Nebraska Legislature from District 21, which then consisted of parts of Lancaster, Saunders, and Sarpy Counties.[3] In the nonpartisan primary election, she placed first of five candidates, with 31.7% of the vote to Bill Sapp's 28.3%.[4] As the top two vote-getters, she and Sapp moved on to the general election, which Hudkins won with 57% of the vote to Sapp's 43%.[5]

In 1996, Hudkins defended her seat from a challenge by Carol Yoakum and Dale McClure, both of Lincoln.[6] In the primary, Hudkins took 59.3% of the vote; Yoakum, 27.3%; and McClure, 13.4%.[7] In the general election, Hudkins received 64.3% of the vote to Yoakum's 35.4%.[8]

Hudkins ran unopposed for re-election to her seat in the legislature in 2000, and again in 2004.[9][10]

In 2000, Nebraska voters passed a term-limits amendment to the state's constitution, under which state legislators could serve no more than two terms consecutively.[11][12] This rendered Hudkins ineligible to run for re-election in 2008, in which year she announced her retirement.[2]

During her tenure in the Legislature, Hudkins served on the Rules Committee, of which she was chairperson; the Natural Resources Committee, of which she was vice-chairperson; the Judiciary Committee, of which she was vice-chairperson; the Agriculture Committee; the General Affairs Committee; the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee; and the Executive Board.[1][13][14][15]

In the Legislature, Hudkins proposed a bill to license and regulate acupuncturists so that they could practice in Nebraska; the measure passed in 2001.[2][16]

Hudkins also sponsored legislation to lower the legal blood-alcohol level for drivers from 0.10% to 0.08%. Recently passed federal legislation that withheld highway funds from states that failed to adopt the lower limit played a role in the passage of the measure.[2][17][18]