Lawmakers in Nebraska voted overwhelmingly to end the use of the death penalty in their state.
"Nebraska becomes the latest state to acknowledge that the death penalty is an irrevocably broken and unjust practice. The legislature has taken a courageous step forward for human rights." —Steven W. Hawkins, Amnesty International
As the Huffington Post reports:
Congratulations to the organizers, great work! Let’s get a wave of popular victories rolling! Keeping my fingers crossed for the final vote…
That’s quite a shock, that it’s Nebraska doing it. Perhaps that’s the (you should excuse the expression) death-knell for the practice.
This is wonderful news. A sidebar to this story is that Governor Pete Ricketts, who says he will veto the bill, is son of the founder of Ameritrade and current owner of the Chicago Cubs. Chicago is in love with the Ricketts family over the money they are spending on the overrated Cubs, The press only briefly covered old man Ricketts’ disparaing remarks about Obama in the last campaign lest their darling rebuilders of the Cubs be tarnished. Only those familiar with Chicago’s love affair with the Cubs can appreciate the unctuous coverage of the Ricketts family in Chicago. Rahm is a Cub fan.
