On Tuesday, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) vetoed a bill that would abolish capital punishment in the Cornhusker State, arguing that his executive negation was "a matter of public safety" and "also a matter of making sure the public prosecutors have the tools they need to put these dangerous hardened criminals behind bars." Legislators scheduled a vote for Wednesday afternoon to override Ricketts' veto; it's expected to be a close vote.
In the last of three votes to pass the death penalty ban, 32 members of the unicameral legislature voted yes and 15 voted no. That's two votes more than needed to overturn the veto, but at least one yes vote has since publicly changed his mind. Ricketts has been trying to get other lawmakers to switch to no, also. If the bipartisan coalition succeeds, Nebraska will be the first conservative state to abolish the death penalty in decades, joining 18 states and Washington, D.C.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with InfowarsThe Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What's next for electric vehicles under Trump?Today's Big Question And what does that mean for Tesla's Elon Musk?
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments lawSpeed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
Texas court allows execution in shaken baby syndrome caseUnder the radar The state could be the first to carry out the death penalty for someone convicted due to the diagnosis, despite its controversial applicability
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security lawSpeed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitutionspeed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidenceSpeed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulationsSpeed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriageSpeed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
