Nebraska Abolishes Death Penalty With Veto Override

Nebraska’s state legislature abolished the death penalty by a vote of 30-19 on May 27, becoming the first traditionally conservative state to do so since 1973. Republicans who opposed capital punishment voted to approve the bill, crossing party lines to defy Governor Pete Ricketts, who had fought vigorously to maintain the death penalty. The cross-party vote garnered enough support to override Rickett’s veto, signed the previous day.

This footage, shot by state representative for South Omaha Jeremy Nordquist, shows the vote in progress. Credit: Twitter/Jeremy Nordquist