From KETV in Omaha:
#BREAKING Nebraska lawmakers advance bill that would abolish the death penalty. Vote: 30-16. Bill faces one more vote #neleg
http://inagist.com/...
My very conservative and libertarian wife (who also supports the death penalty, which causes some interesting political discussions around here) called our state senator Ken Schilz this morning in support of the bill to repeal the death penalty. Her argument in favour of Senator Ernie Chamber's bill was the dubious sourcing of the drugs used makes a mockery of the justice system.
Senator Schilz was present but did not vote.
The votes have been posted to the Unicameral's Website:
http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/...
LB268 would repeal the death penalty in Nebraska and replace all sentencing with life without parole. A final amendment was offered this morning to instead put the death penalty to a referendum during the 2016 primary elections as a state constitutional amendment, which was defeated.
Mr Schilz is probably best known around here for offering a bill to opt Nebraska out of Daylight Savings Time, which he argued would make life easier out here in the Panhandle. (The Nebraska Panhandle is in Mountain Time Zone. The bill was defeated.)
Mr Schilz also was vital in the fight to keep our post office. His background is in accounting, and he and my wife made a mockery of the numbers used to justify closing our post office at hearings and in letters to the US Senate.
More about the bill from my diary last night: http://www.dailykos.com/...
The ACLU is investigating the sourcing of the drugs, having filed an open records request:
http://www.nebraska.statenews.net/...
Governor Ricketts said he would veto the bill if it reaches his desk. There are sufficient "aye" votes to overturn a veto.
3:14 PM MT: We have a tornado warning for our area. I am afraid I will not be able to interact on this article for a while. . . .
Update 3:40 PM MT: Tornadoes in sight, siren sounding, off to the cyclone cellar. My wife is at the library (which is probably safer than our house).
Update 2 4:33 PM MT: A tornado passed within two miles of my house. Yipes.
Update 3: 1.5 inch hail at 5:42PM MT. More severe storms.