Ex-Nebraska Rep. Bill Barrett, who pushed farm issues, dies

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Longtime Nebraska politician Bill Barrett, who helped shape the nation's farm policy during his 10 years in Congress, has died at age 87.

The conservative Republican was known for seeking consensus and compromise during his decade representing the western two-thirds of Nebraska in the state's 3rd Congressional District.

Tami Reynolds of Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington said Barrett died Tuesday night at an assisted living facility in Lexington, his hometown.

Barrett was outspoken on farm issues and helped write the Freedom to Farm Act in 1996 that limited farm subsidies. He also tried to keep the federal government out of local water rights issues.

He served in the U.S. House from 1991 through 2000. Before that, he spent 12 years in the Nebraska Legislature, his final four as speaker.

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