Nebraska Lawmakers Kill Death Penalty

Nebraska lawmakers voted 30-19 to abolish the death penalty on Wednesday, despite Gov. Pete Ricketts' objections.

"My words cannot express how appalled I am that we have lost a critical tool to protect law enforcement and Nebraska families," Ricketts said in a statement. "While the Legislature has lost touch with the citizens of Nebraska, I will continue to stand with Nebraskans and law enforcement on this important issue."

The vote makes Nebraska the first traditionally conservative state to eliminate the punishment since North Dakota in 1973.

It had the support from conservatives who oppose capital punishment for religious, financial, and practical reasons.

"Whenever anything historic occurs, it's never the doing of one person," Sen. Ernie Chambers, an independent who introduced a repeal measure 38 times, said.

"I've been pushing for this for 40 years, but all of this time it's never been done. If it could be done by one man, it would have been done a long time ago," Chambers added.

Nebraska joins 18 other states and the District of Columbia in abolishing the death penalty.