LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Voters will have an opportunity Tuesday to reverse an action taken by the Legislature and reinstate Nebraska's death penalty, but moving forward with executions could take years.
Nebraska's last execution was in 1997, using the electric chair, and the state has never carried one out using its current three-drug lethal injection protocol. Even though several executions have been scheduled, legal and logistical problems have kept the state from using lethal injection before the necessary drugs expired.
Death penalty opponents say the state will never execute another inmate without shrouding its process in secrecy. Supporters say a strong showing of support from voters will increase pressure on public officials to find a workable solution.
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