—LEGISLATURE—
Execution method
change considered
By Jill Zeman
Staff writer
Legislators are considering
whether or not execution in Nebraska
should be modified to be more
humane.
LB52, which proposes changing
the legal form of execution from elec
trocution to lethal injection, was
introduced by Sen. Kermit Brashear
of Omaha on Jan. 7,1999.
Gov. Mike Johanns recently
announced his support of the bill,
which has sparked controversy
throughout Nebraska, in his State of
the State address.
Sen. Pam Redfield of Omaha co
signed the bill.
When the bill was introduced, it
was not a step toward abolishing exe
cution but toward decreasing suffer
ing, Redfield said.
“The death penalty should not be
about making the prisoner die as
painfully as possible,” she said.
Redfield said she thought lethal
injection was a far better approach
than electrocution for the people who
carry out the execution as well as for
the prisoners.
Members of the medical profes
sion have declared their opposition to
lethal injection.
The Nebraska Nurse’s
Association and the American
Nurse’s Association have both taken a
stand against lethal injection, said
Carol McShane, a registered nurse
and member of the Nebraska Nurse’s
Association.
Both associations have declared
that if nurses were to participate in
lethal injections, it would be against
their ethical code, McShane said.
She said lethal injection is just as
inhumane as electrocution because it
can be a long, painful process for
death row inmates.
It can be very difficult to get a
prisoner’s I.V. started because many
inmates have used drugs that affect
their veins, she said.
The needle could come out of the
inmate’s vein, making the death a
prolonged process, McShane said.
“(Lethal injection) is torture for
someone,” she said.
If the bill becomes law, any death
row inmate convicted before its pas
sage would be able to choose death by
electrocution or lethal injection.
“It’s very inhumane to ask some
one to make a conscious choice on
how they will die,” McShane said.
McShane said the most humane
form of execution is the guillotine,
but it is no longer used because it can
be gruesome to watch.
“Lethal injection is only more
humane for the viewers,” she said.
Marc Patry, a University of
Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student
in law and psychology, said he didn’t
want to take a stance on the death
penalty issue.
“I think the electric chair is more
harsh than necessary; some may view
it as cruel and unusual punishment,”
Patry said.
He said the possible change to
lethal injection would not be a step
toward abolishing the death penalty.
“Fundamental opponents to the
death penalty may agree it’s more
humane. However, they realize a per
son is still being killed,” he said.
The bill has been placed in the
General File and will go to the floor
for the senators to debate, which is
unscheduled.
New system
suggested
TRACKING from page 1
us how we’re serving our students,”
Wickersham said.
South-Dakota uses a student
information system similar but not
identical to the the one proposed by
Wickersham, said Lesta Turchen,
senior administrator for the South
Dakota Board of Regents.
South Dakota’s system differs
because it offers information for only
public universities, Turchen said. It
includes information such as student
placement test scores, grades and
transcripts.
The South Dakota regents are in
the process of converting the system
so students can access their account
via the Internet, she said.
Turchen said there were few
problems with the system.
Osborne considers
running for Senate
OSBORNE from page 1
“Winning national championships
doesn’t automatically make you an
effective legislator,” Smith said.
If Osborne enters the campaign, it
would attract a lot of attention and give
opponents a scare, Smith said.
Smith said Osborne’s greatest
political asset is his name.
“In the state of Nebraska, Tom
Osborne is a sterling name,” he said.
Osborne said voters are familiar
with him and his issues, which could
help in the election, if he runs.
UNL junior accounting and eco
nomics major and College
Republicans Chairman Jason Wiggins
said he thought Osborne would be an
excellent candidate for public office.
“I think he embodies a lot of ideals
that Nebraskans can identify with,”
Wiggins said. “He has a high moral
character, and that’s what’s most
important in a candidate.”
Wiggins also acknowledged the
strength Osborne would have in cam
paigning.
“He has a celebrity status in this
state,” Wiggins said.
Osborne was skeptical about the
voters’ behavior.
“I’ve been through a lot with the
people of Nebraska,” he said. “But
who knows what they think about
when they’re in the voting booth.”
In other campaign news, Sen. Bob
Kerrey is expected to make an
announcement today if he will run for.
Senate.
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