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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2001)
Execution form could change BY GEORGE GREEN Sen. Jon Bruning of Sarpy County is planning for the future. He's not putting money in the bank for a rainy day, and he’s not doing extra work before a vaca tion. Rathet he introduced LB62, a bill to switch Nebraska's method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection. Bruning said lingering con cerns about whether the practice was cruel and unusual prompted him to introduce the bifl. If a court finds the practice cmd and unusual, the state might be stuck without an execution method. Adding a strange twist to the debate, Bruning introduced the bill as his priority bill even though Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha introduced a bill to do the same thing. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha voiced concerns over Bnmmng’s motivation. “Is there a political reason for ycxrr offering the bill at this time?” he asked. Bruning said he presented the plan simply because he support ed the concept. Chambers said Brashear had introduced similar balls in the past and said he would continue to bring them before lawmakers. Steve King, planning research and accreditation manger for the Department of Corrections, said he also supported the bOL “The Department of Correctional Services believes that execution by lethal injection represents a valid alternative to the practice,” he He said it gave correctional workers a more humane way of carrying out their job. The entire death penalty process is difficult for workers charged with performing the pro cedure, he said. On average, staff members work with condemned inmates for 17 years and can form semi personal relations with the con victs, he said. Making capital punishment more humane by moving to lethal injection would help the depart ment “cany out the death penalty in a professional manner;” he said. Chambers, who introduced a bill to ban executions, raised Legislature consid ered humane. *1 think humane execution is an oxymoron,” he said. Greg Wright, a local physician and former director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said label ing the process as humane might not be completely correct He said prison workers could easily botch the procedure by missing the inmate’s vein when inserting the needle and, instead, puncture the inmate's musde. And he said sometimes the needle could pop out if it was not property inserted. These accidents frequently happen, he said, because staff members aren’t property trained. But enlisting health care pro fessionals who might have more training can cause a conflict of interest, he said. "This is dearly using medical skills in a way that doesn't benefit the patient,” he said. Father Dennis Hamm said any type of killing was wrong. But ifthe state wants to use the most humane method for destroying inmates, they might need to institute the guillotine, which lops off the head of the inmate, he said. "The guillotine offers the speediest method," he said. But, he said no one wants to watch the aftermath of someone losing his or her head “Maybe in the eyes of the cre ator of life, killing is supposed to be ugly,” he said King said states currently exe cute inmates by electrocution, lethal gas, hanging, firing squad and lethal injection. Nebraska and Alabama are the only states that still use elec trocution. Marylyn Fellon, a spokes woman for Nebraskans for Peace, a grassroots social advocacy group, said it was time for Nebraska to abandon any form of sanctioned killing. She said killing was inherently wrong. More importantly, she said, Bruning’s and Brashear’s bills don’t make it more humane for the inmate, they make it easier for the prison workers. “This is an effort to sanitize the appearance of an execution," she said. In Slaalaai lift Saaf ai, laick ill Clack IM Ilia, laacaaaar ar Call far flai Tlaacr cyftentino& introduces Call Valentino's 13th Sr Q 475-1501 East Campus Detverij Valentino's at 35th & Holdrege 467-3611 Student or issser value. Conference aims to empower women win irom page l Hopkins compared the labo ratories allotted to faculty and found that women at MIT were receiving less space. “Often times it was very diffi cult for the administration to ana lyze the problem. If there was only one female in the department and she complained about her lab space, the administration might dismiss her complaint,” shesakL “But when a group of women got together and presented the data, the bias was confirmed.” Hopkins said her life com pletely changed after the results of ha investigation were published. "I realized I wasn't alone,” she said. Having moved from her cramped 1,500 square-foot labo ratory to a 5,000 square-foot research space, Hopkins found MIT was willing to examine and change its policies. In speaking to women's groups across the country, Hopkins said she wanted to help women speak out on gender dis crimination in universities. Shari Clarke, special assistant 1hectogstofe.com 1-aOO-948-CLOG IN SEARCH OF. SF outgoing, enjoys sun, fun ond beach, for lit t-sllrt Ctitist this Saturday, MAR. 10 10 pm Barry's Beach Bash, Outback, 9th A Q. PRIZES, Play in the sand. Drink Specials, Volleyball j. ior diversity ana equity to University of Nebraska President Dennis Smith, said today's con ference was designed to provide opportunities for female faculty, staff and administrators. “This is the second year for die program,” Clarke said. “Last year we held a symposium on mentoring which was extremely well attended.” The conference will be held at the Clifford Hardin Center for Continuing Education, 33rd and Holdrege streets. Beginning at 9 am, the schedule indudes work shops on networking, strategic planning and mentoring. The day-long event begins with Hopkins as the keynote speaker as well as various ses sions, including "Things Your Mother Never Tkught Ybu; Career Management and Salary Negotiations'' and "From Faculty Member to Department Chair". 'Em Extra Meoey, Make a DHfereace by Assistiag ia Medical Research.* If you or someone you know responded to this ad and participated in a study for MDS Harris, ABC News would like to talk to you. 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