Breaking: Nebraska votes to abolish death penalty; first conservative state to do so in 42 years

Click to enlarge. Sens. Larson and Schilz were present but did not vote.

     The rancorous debate over LB268, filibustered by Sen. Beau McCoy, revealed a change in attitude buoyed by conservative senators opposing capital punishment for fiscal, religious and pragmatic reasons.
     Gov. Ricketts has promised to veto the bill, though the state hasn't executed a prisoner since 1997. Thirty votes would override his veto, two less than just voted to kill the death penalty.
     Although some lawmakers maintain that constant legal challenges will prevent the state from another execution, GOP Attorney General Doug Peterson, a conspicuous Christian, recently purchased a stash of lethal injection drugs in order to resume executions.
     During the debate Sen. Mike Groene deplored "lily-white" death penalty opponents who didn't know what it was like to see murderers escape "justice."
     Senator Tanya Cook, who is black, sarcastically answered that as a lily white person from North Omaha, she opposed supported the measure.