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thursday, march 1, 1979
lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 87
ID(lulS
eiiator says
By Shelley Smith
ASUN voted Wednesday to reject all
four proposals for polling locations
presented by the ASUN Electoral Commis
sion, and formed a new proposal for the
Commission's review. .'
The new proposal includes polling
booths at:
-Both unions, Nebraska Hall, Henzlik
Hall, Love Library, HarperSchramm
Smith from 8 am. to 8 pjn.;
Abel Hall, NeOiardt Hall, C.Y. Thomp
son Library, Ave Greek houses or
. Cooperatives to be determined on a
geographical basis provided those
nouses agree to have the booths from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.;
-Wesley House, College of Business
Administration, Andrews Hall, Old
father Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 pjn.
Sponsoring Senator, Nathan Wesely,
said he felt these locations will be the most
fair and accessible locations for polling
booths.
The vote came after considerable debate
from the audience that ASUN, in its ef
forts to. maximize voter turnout, was
making booths too accessible for voters.
Sen. Tom Beyer said he agreed.
polling pi
img'stud
ems
"It seems like we're trying to spoon
feed our student body," he said.
"Why not place voting booths in the
parking lots for people who didn't have
time to vpte but are going to move their
cars?" he said.
Sen. Jim Davidson rebutted Beyer's
statement and asked Beyer if he felt the
students should be for the student govern
ment or the student government be for the
students.
"Students have no burning passion to
vote in the ASUN election," Davidson
continued.
"It's not the highlight of that student's
semester. We should make the polls acces
sible to the students," he said.
Beyer said that by "spoon-feeding the
students so much, you'll eventually end up
with no reliable or decent student govern
ment." Because of a change in planning and
coordination, ASUN voted unanimously to
actively support Parents Weekend
scheduled for April 27. ,
Two weeks ago, the senate voted to
neither support nor oppose the weekend
because some senators were concerned that
it would only show the good things about
the university and that no student opinion
went into selection of the date.
However, Sen. . Jim Davidson said Wed
nesday night that the administration will
allow student Input Into the planning of
the weekend, and urged the senate to pass
the bill.
"Because of the changes in planning and
coordination, parents will see. the univer
sity as It really is and not just make
everyone who goes, go away happy," he
said. -
Davidson said since the specifics are
completed, he feels it is a good program.
, "we know what the parents are going to
see," he said; v
ASUN President Ren Marienau said he
received calls in. the past two weeks from
the administration asking ASUN what they
wanted included in Parents Weekend.
"They - were concerned, and we are
going to be allowed to sponsor some of the
programs," he said.
The ; bill reads that ASUN's
contributions will include two seminars,
a panel discussion, and the distribution of
pamphlets and solicitation cards for the
NU'Student Foundation.
Parents Weekend, according to coor
dinator Al Papik, will include an honors
convocation, Ivy day, Hospitality Days and
a football scrimmage. . -'
. - . ..'. ,. '. A ;-. v. v
Originally the weekend 'was to include
the spring football game a but because of
conflicts with football practices, the game
was re-scheduled for May 4, according to
ASUN filings
are due today
The filing deadline for ASUN Senate ,
Executive, Committee for Fees Alloca
tion and College Advisory Board cand
idates is 5 pjn. today.
Candidates for the ASUN Senate and
College Advisory Board must obtain 35
signatures on a filing form which can be
obtained at the ASUN office, room 115
Nebraska Union.
Candidates for the ASUN Executive .
and Committee for Fees Allocation
must obtain 50 signatures on the filing
form.
Death penalty repeal reintroduced with little opposition
By Randy Essex
- Religion, morality, discrimination,
cruelty, arbitrariness and deterrence. All
are traditional sijectiwhen.iscussing -Omaha
Sefr Ernie ffianftejfllin re peat
the state's oalh penalty. , I
d:t)mea1nue itself is becoming a
legislative tradition. Chambers has intro
duced a similar bill several times. The
Omaha senator said he is not sure exactly
how many times he has tried to repeal the
death penalty.
He said this is the third year in a tow
the subject has been before the Legislature,
but in the three years, only two bills have
been introduced. r
Chambers argued for LB262 before the
Judiciary Committee Wednesday, saying
the penalty is legally unjustifiable because
no evidence can be shown proving ths
penalty is a deterrent. . , v T rC
The bill has advanced to the unicameral
floor before, and observers say Chambers
has more support now than in the past. He
was successful last year in passing a bill re
quiring a panel of judges to review all death
.- sentences. : v "..:- '' J,; "2
r Tne support was obvious and opposition
hard to find at the hearing. Only one
citizen opposed the bill.
Wonl of 6od
Don Uenemann of Papillibn, who is a
member of the State Board of Education
but was not representing the group, told
the senators that the U.S. Constitution is
based on the word of God, and that God
says the death penalty should be used.
' "One of the commandments said 'Thou
shalt riot kill,' so God told us not to com
mit murder," Uenemann said,
"But at the same time He directed His
people to kill the wicked, and that's the
same direction we have at the state level "
Two NU professors testified in support
of the bill.
Martin Gardner, a UNL assistant profes
sor of law, said the death penalty has not
naiiy may yen juiuucc some - pcopi; , to
Gardner said the "suicide-murder syn
drome" -was possibly the motivation of
Gary Gilmore, the last person to have been
executed in the United States.
Gardner, Chambers and others said the
criminal justice system is not perfect be
cause it is administered by humans, who
are subject to human error.
' "The form of capital punishment in
Nebraska is particularly barbaric, and may
be unconstitutional under new court
rulings relating to cruel and unusual
punishment," Gardner said.
. Considerable pain
He explained that the electric chair in
flicts considerable pain on its victim and
sis v ' ,
& , . r
I fa -
is degrading. He said the person to be exe
cuted must have the top of his head
shaved so the electrodes can make solid
.contact with fleshy whicH often burns
during th execution .c --j . - ;
-r ' rietca provision in Chambers'
bill which' calls for a minimum sentence of
30 years tor what are not capital crimes
would protect society adequately.
Gardner said the average age of those
who commit first degree murder -is 26.
Gardner and Tom Hagel, who represented
the Nebraska Civil liberties Union, said
that since almost all murders are
committed by young people, a 30-year sen
tence would protect society
Hagel also said mass murderers could be
sentenced to serve the minimum on each
count, so a person; committing four
murders could be sentenced to a minimum
of 120 years.
Sam WaHcer of the tM5 Criminal Jus
tice Department said, "The harsher the
penalty, the less often it is used; the less
often it is used, the more arbitrary its ap
plication becomes."
Chambers pointed out that Nebraskhas
not used the death penalty since 1958,
when Charles Starkweather was electro
cuted. Chambers also said that a convicted
first-degree murderer h sver returned to
the state's penal complex for another crime
or for another murder.
He also-said the average time spent in
. prison by convicted first-degree murderers
now is between 1 7jmd 1 8 years, compared
to the 30 years proposed in his bill. "
He said out of 200 first-degree murder
cases since 1970, only, eight prisoners sit
on Nebraska's death row. AIL of the
prisoners are appealing their sentences.
Supporting the bill were: the Demo
cratic Party of Nebraska, NCLU, thev
Urban League of Nebraska, the Nebraska "
Criminal Defense Lawyers and several
citizens. " , . ;
rtwto fcy Cob Paaron ,
Omaha Sea. Ernie Chambers testifies apinst Nebraska's death penalty at a hearing Wednesday.
MS. image takes lump: Iran discussed
at forum . v. ... . . . . . . . .page 6 "
The hills are alive: Reviewer. looks at
new rockabilly album, combin
.ing the- best in ; hillbilly and
rock. . . ; iTUV, ... .page 8
Pettibone sees red: But he's not mad,
he's come; to' UNL, transferrins
from the " Oklalioma football
coaching staff .page 1 0
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