Background
He was born December 23, 1928, in Hastings, Nebraska.
He was born December 23, 1928, in Hastings, Nebraska.
He attended University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grinnell College, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
He was appointed to the legislature on September 5, 1996 to replace David Bernard-Stevens who had resigned. He was elected in 1996 to represent the 42nd Nebraska legislative district and reelected in 1998 and 2002. Since Nebraska voters passed Initiative Measure 415 in 2001 limiting state senators to two terms after 2001, he is unable run for reelection barring a court challenge of the measure.
He is the father of former Nebraska Cornhuskers athletic director Steve Pederson.
He currently sits on the Nebraska Retirement Systems, Building Maintenance, and Legislative Performance Audit committees, is a nonvoting member of the Executive Board and Reference committees and chairs the Appropriations committee.