Nebraska governor vetoes bill to abolish death penalty

LINCOLN, Neb. – Gov. Pete Ricketts vetoed a bill Tuesday that would make Nebraska the first traditionally conservative state in more than four decades to abolish the death penalty, sending it back to lawmakers who will attempt an override.

Nebraska lawmakers passed the bill last week with a veto-proof, 32-15 majority. At least 30 senators are needed for the veto override scheduled for this afternoon, but the Republican governor has been talking to individual senators to try to keep the death penalty in place.

Nebraska hasn’t executed a prisoner since 1997, when the electric chair was used. The state has never imposed the punishment under the lethal injection process now required by state law, and the state lost its ability to do so when a key lethal injection drug expired in December 2013. Ricketts announced this month that the state had purchased new drugs to resume executions, but the state hasn’t yet received them and civil liberties groups are expected to challenge the purchases in court.

Ricketts reiterated his support for capital punishment during a Capitol news conference.

“Nebraskans expect their public officials to strengthen public safety, not weaken it,” Ricketts said.

The bill’s lead sponsor, independent Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, has said he’s confident the bill will maintain enough support for the override. Many senators argued that they oppose the ultimate punishment for religious reasons. Others said it was too costly and inefficient, and questioned whether government could be trusted to manage it.