ACLU: Nebraska Made History

LINCOLN, Neb. ­– Today, a supermajority of Nebraska legislators voted to override Governor Pete Rickett’s veto of LB 268, a bill that replaces the death penalty with a life sentence that has no possibility of parole.

Statement from Danielle Conrad, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nebraska:

“Today marks a remarkable and historic victory for our state. We are grateful for the dynamic leadership of policymakers, and we are proud to be part of an incredibly diverse coalition led by faith leaders, fiscal conservatives, and victim’s families. This is a meaningful victory for all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Legislature, with the world watching, made their voice a part of the national conversation. We are a nation that is turning away from the death penalty. This victory stands as a testament to what can happen in our sister states. Our work helped to identify what we were hearing and seeing on the ground-and across the nation a majority of voters favor smart alternatives like life in prison that put public safety first.

“Around the country, the number of executions per year and the number of states that carry out executions continue to decline. The state of Nebraska has been unable to carry out an execution for 15 years. Efforts to obtain drugs for lethal injection have failed time and time again. The Governor’s most recent desperate attempt to secure lethal injection drugs raises the same legal and procedural red flags. Thankfully Nebraska can now implement this law and devote more resources to solving crimes, supporting victim’s families, and bringing sensible reforms to our crisis riddled prison system.”

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The ACLU of Nebraska and its diverse membership work in courts, the legislature, and our communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States and Nebraska guarantee everyone in this state. For more information: http://www.aclunebraska.org.