Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Death penalty opponents are joining forces to oppose a ballot campaign that could reinstate capital punishment in Nebraska.
The new group Nebraskans for Public Safety announced Thursday that it will argue for “smart alternatives” to the death penalty.
Participating organizations include Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, the Nebraska Innocence Project, the ACLU of Nebraska and the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association.
The coalition is also comprised of religious and conservative leaders, and retired Sarpy County District Judge Ronald Reagan. Reagan sat on the panel that sentenced former Nebraska inmate John Joubert to death. Joubert was executed in 1996.
Death penalty supporters launched the petition drive after state lawmakers voted last month to override Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto and abolish capital punishment.