Nebraska on Wednesday became the first conservative state in more than 40 years to abolish the death penalty, with lawmakers defying their Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, a staunch supporter of capital punishment who had lobbied vigorously against banning it.
By a 30 to 19 vote that cut across party lines, the Legislature overrode the governor’s veto on Tuesday of a bill repealing the state’s death penalty law. The measure garnered just enough votes to overcome the veto.
Slowly, haltingly, one step forward, often too many back, we progress.
Image: Edouard Manet, The Execution of Emperor Maximilian, 1867
Valdivia
That title.
And yeah, Go Nebraska!
Valdivia
Extra points for that painting which portrays the events that allow us to celebrate Cinco de Mayo
Lavocat
Truly, I am amazed.
But, before I regain my long lost faith in humanity, I’m guessing this decision has more to do with the cost and scarcity of “death drugs” than it has to do with peace, love, and understanding.
Still, regardless of the reasons involved, thanks be to the FSM.
Tom Levenson
@Lavocat: No — though the drug issues played into it a little. This was a combination of a long term quest by one lawmaker, and the slow development of a commitment by some very conservative members of the Nebraska legislature to the value of life as it apples to other than womb-Americans. Kudos to all concerned, from where I sit.
srv
See, Republicans can be reasonable people.
Baud
@Tom Levenson:
Case study in not giving up.
Lynn Dee
Go Big Red!
Elizabelle
Props, Nebraska. May you start a trend of conservative states’ also abolishing the death penalty.
srv
So many great choices. It’s like an Ocean’s 11 of politics:
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
I wonder if this is going to be one of those “Nixon goes to China” issues that only conservatives can touch with a 10-foot pole. Personally, I don’t care how banning the death penalty gets done, as long as it happens.
SatanicPanic
@srv: damning with faint praise
NotMax
Good to see it squeaked by. 30 is the bare minimum for override. IIRC, 32 voted to abolish on the final vote before the veto.
Bravo to the staunch souls who resisted the frantic political arm twisting.
MomSense
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
I feel the same way. If the issue needs republican cover, so be it. Let’s just end this barbaric practice.
shell
You’d think the solid evidence that innocent people have been executed would be enough to convince them that this is wrong-wrong-wrong. But do the defenders of the death penalty think that’s just collateral damage?
dedc79
If Nebraska can do this, then surely so can California, Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
shell
Aarrgggh. Sounds like Santorum has made it official, and all the newsie’s tonight are treating it with the gravitas as if he has a hope in hell.
Roger Moore
@Lavocat:
It has to do with both. Some people were genuinely concerned with the moral side of capital punishment, IIRC including at least one conservative Catholic who voted for repeal because that’s what being pro life is about. Some people were just concerned about the practical aspects, like the lack of drugs and the expense of appeals and keeping prisoners on death row. You don’t get that kind of turn around without appealing to multiple motivations.
different-church-lady
Oh, is that what you’re calling it now?
Roger Moore
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
I doubt it. In the past 10 years, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland have abolished capital punishment, so the more liberal states have been leading the trend. It’s worth noting, though, that Nebraska, like its neighbors Wyoming and Kansas, hasn’t actually executed anyone in the past decade, so this isn’t exactly a Road-to-Damascus conversion like it would be if Texas abolished the death penalty.
Elizabelle
@shell: The NYTimes readers are less sanguine about Santorum’s impact.
Said one reader, his only chance of victory is that we all wake up and it’s 1516.
Also, bad on our news media: does it matter if you have 20+ conservative candidates, which is less diversity than having a few serious ones? And the Republicans don’t actually have a credible candidate yet, who is up to being president of all Americans, not just his/her voters.
Baud
From Ed Kilgore, this is funny:
Poor Bobby. He’s tried really heard to get that group to like him.
rikyrah
Can’t believe it’s Nebraska
Cervantes
@srv:
A bunch of crooks, you mean?
Roger Moore
@Elizabelle:
Sorry, but Santorum loses that one, too, since nobody was electing presidents back then.
Baud
@Elizabelle:
With Santorum, one does expect the Inquisition.
Peale
@Baud: it’s like all that born again business is just posturing. You just can’t be keeping any pagan idolatry in your family for a generation or so.
Jay Noble
We Nebraskans are a strange lot. A couple weeks ago we were all over the news for the lady who was suing ALL the gays on behalf of God. Now this. We are on the front line of the KXL pipeline issue – people against, politicians for. We just laid to rest a really good cop who was shot by a really bad guy. And so it goes . . .
Some of the irony of the repeal, is that it came the same week one of our most notorious death row inmates died of natural causes after spending 25+ years on death row. Michael Ryan was the leader of a doomsday pre-teaparty cult and has been convicted of torturing a member to death over 3 days and killing a 5 year old boy at the same time. The fact that this guy hadn’t been executed yet was both an economic and as-a-deterrent argument factor.
Kerry Reid
Best news I’ve seen today. Well done, Nebraska legislators.
Baud
@Peale: Jindal started off as a policy wonk. He’s transformed himself into a televangelist. He got himself elected governor twice, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a political future right now.
Peale
@efgoldman: I’m lawyering up just in case I’m subpoenaed to testify.
Baud
@Peale:
By God or the gays?
SatanicPanic
@Baud: I wonder what it is they don’t like about him?
Baud
@SatanicPanic: He’s no Ben Carson.
Frank Wilhoit
I lived three years in Nebraska — which, of course, means that I only scratched the surface, but even so, I couldn’t help noticing that it’s a very complicated place. The temptation to stereotype is particularly misleading. The state capital, Lincoln, used to be a very civilized town, an oasis in flyover country; but the Western half of the state (except for the strip right along the Platte River) has never recovered from the Dust Bowl.
The “one lawmaker” is Ernie Chambers, who is really one of those larger-than-life characters who have been homogenized out of American politics. There’s a big, thick book to be written about him some day. He was already turning the place completely upside down when I lived there, over thirty years ago.
On the other hand, the other high-profile personality among Nebraska state senators back then was John DeCamp, of Neligh County. Look him up if you dare, but have some eye bleach handy. I don’t think you’ll find [what, for me, was] his signature quote, so I will provide it here: “Automobile inspections are the thin edge of Bolshevism!”.
Kathleen
@rikyrah: I can’t either. I was born there and have been embarrassed to admit it publicly. I am shocked, but pleased. I’ve heard Omaha (my birthplace) is a really nice city now.
El Caganer
It’s gonna be a tidal wave! We’ll be in Santorum up to our necks!
Mike in NC
@Baud: Jindal’s only hope to stay politically relevant would be to land a job in JEBs! cabinet. Hopefully that will never happen.
Baud
@Mike in NC:
It would probably be HHS Secretary, so be very afraid.
Elizabelle
@efgoldman: I’ll take wacko crazies for $200, Alex.
New thread — Jeopardy!
David Koch
@Baud:
/fixed
Enzymer
@Frank Wilhoit: a @Frank Wilhoit: @Frank Wilhoit: frank, you’ve clearly learned a lot. Back 35 years ago, when I was a student-lobbyist working to represent the UNL student body, Ernie Chambers was a major lobbying target. Though he was a minority of one we knew he could influence close to a dozen votes out of 49.
From what I read, since his term-limits furlough (which actually hurt mainstream conservatives on net), Ernie has mentored a broad group of non-racist colleagues including many conservative Republicans. Many of them are less conservative as a result. My Mother’s senator is a good example. For him Catholic doctrine on sanctity of life was a crucial factor
shortstop
Goddamn, I didn’t see that coming. That’s great. Icing on the cake: as a Cubs fan (hush), I enjoy anything that causes the Rickettses pain.
John Revolta
@Kathleen: I moved to Omaha six months ago. Okay, it’s small, but it’s got a lot going for it. It’s well-run and people aren’t afraid to embrace the weird.
Nebraska is conservative but it’s not Neo-Conservative. F’rinstance, we’re running a budget surplus. On purpose.
Jay Noble
Omaha small? Population wise they now are bigger than Buffalo, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cleveland. Lincoln is bigger than Buffalo. And both are growing. With a coupla exceptions though, the rest of the state is geting a little mor tumble weedy. ;-)
Oh – and welcome John!
teehee – Drink the Kool-Aid – it was invented here!
Lavocat
@Tom Levenson: Well then. THOSE are some conservatives I want to get to know, if only to discover HOW and WHY we share this one important point in common. Common ground can be a beautiful thing, especially if it keeps the State from killing its own citizens.
CONGRATULATIONS!
I fundamentally don’t give a shit about a whole lot, but the death penalty has always made me ill. It’s just wrong.