|
Why Oppose the Death Penalty? |
|
NADP Update from Lincoln | January 21, 2010
We want to thank everyone who sprung into action on Wednesday when we learned that LB306--a bill to repeal the death penalty--was going to be debated on the floor of the Unicameral! Following the State of the Judiciary address by Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican, LB306 was again on the schedule for debate. After three hours of debate yesterday, it was clear that this was not the time that we would repeal the death penalty; however, we DID learn that there are many Senator's who are ready to learn the full cost of Nebraska's expensive and inefficient death penalty system. There is still more work for us to do in 2010!
During the debate, Senator Council introduced an amendment to the bill that would have instructed the State Auditor to conduct an in-depth investigation of the true costs of Nebraska's death penalty system. While many Senators stood up in support of fiscal responsibility and transparency in government with a vote in support of the amendment, it did not have enough votes to pass (see the final vote below).
As we in Nebraska continue to face difficult budget decisions, it is irresponsible of our Legislature to prevent an investigation into the costs of a system that has proven to be both wasteful and inefficient in state after state. Tax payers in Nebraska deserve to have a clear picture of how and where our money is being spent, and your Senator needs to hear from you again on this issue.
Senator Brenda Council has just introduced a bill, modeled after the amendment debated on the floor yesterday, that would begin to discover true costs of Nebraska's death penalty system. As we know, every state cost study that has ever been done has found that the death penalty costs millions more than a system of life without parole. It is time for Nebraskans to know the true cost of the death penalty! As of this moment, we do not know the bill number nor when it will have a committee hearing, but we will be keeping you informed as soon as more information becomes available.
This new bill will keep the issue of the death penalty on the minds of citizens and Senators alike, and NADP will seize this opportunity and continue to build the grassroots movement needed to repeal the death penalty in the coming years! Please help us gain momentum by forwarding on our NADP NEWS emails and by directing people to our website, www.nadp.net. Together we will see Nebraska become one of the next states to say YES to repeal of the death penalty!
As always, we love to hear from you! Have you heard from your Senator about the death penalty this year? Do you have a venue for a speaker to come and talk about the death penalty? Would you like to learn more about a particular issue associated with the death penalty? If you answered yes to any of these questions or have any other questions or feedback please contact me at jill@nadp.net!
How they Voted | Amendment 1579 to LB306
The Nebraska Legislature said no Wednesday to an amendment to a death penalty repeal bill (LB306) that would have required state Auditor Mike Foley to determine the costs of the death penalty in Nebraska.*
Voting yes (15): Ashford, Coash, Conrad, Cook, Council, Dierks, Haar, Howard, Lathrop, McGill, Mello, Nordquist, Rogert, Wallman, White
Voting no (30): Adams, Campbell, Carlson, Christensen, Fischer, Flood, Fulton, Gay, Giese, Gloor, Hadley, Hansen, Harms, Heidemann, Janssen, Karpisek, Krist, Langemeier, Lautenbaugh, Louden, Nelson, Pahls, Pankonin, Pirsch, Price, Schilz, Stuthman, Sullivan, Utter, Wightman
Present not voting (2): Avery, Dubas
Excused (2): Cornett, McCoy
To find out who your State Senator is please visit http://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/senator_find.php and enter your street address in the search bar at the bottom right. Then click on the arrow that appears on the map to see who your Senator is. Their email address and phone number can then be found on the Legislature's website.
*Taken from Legislature starts debate on proposal to repeal death penalty- BY JoAnne Young- Lincoln Journal Star- Posted: Wednesday, January 20, 2010- Read the full article here.
