Nebraska Death Penalty May Be Back On The Books

Published October 19, 2015 at 11:33 AM CDT

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts gestures during a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, May 20, 2015. Gov. Ricketts voiced his opposition to a bill to abolish the death penalty which is up for a final vote before the Legislature on Wednesday, and promised to veto the bill should it pass. (Nati Harnik/AP)

Just four months after the death penalty was banned in Nebraska, a pro-death penalty group there is one step closer to having it reinstated. Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, a group backed by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, submitted the requisite number of signatures to postpone the repeal and and place a referendum on the issue onto the 2016 ballot.

Proponents of the death penalty say it’s appropriate punishment for the most heinous murders and can act as a deterrent to crime. Opponents have launched two lawsuits they hope will keep the question off the ballot. The Nebraska legislature overrode a veto by Governor Ricketts to abolish the death penalty in Nebraska in June.

Paul Hammel, Lincoln bureau chief for the Omaha World-Herald, joins Here & Now host Robin Young to discuss the issue.

Guest

Paul Hammel, Lincoln bureau chief for the Omaha World-Herald. He tweets @PaulHammelOWH.