Senator hears opposition to electric chair

Execution in Nebraska needs to be eliminated or modified, constituents told Sen. Mark Christensen today at the Chamber Legislative conference call.

Christensen said some senators "behind the scenes" have discussed changing the execution method to lethal injection, but no one this session has sponsored a bill about this. The two bills introduced this year, asked to repeal the death penalty and to make it harder to implement, failed to advance.

Nebraska is the only state that still uses only electrocution, Larry Eisenmenger told the senator, with the costs of appeals and stays of execution an inefficient use of tax dollars.

The only people flourishing under the present system are the lawyers, Eisenmenger told the senator.

'Taxpayers are entitled to better justice than this," he said.

Christensen agreed. Permanently incarcerating offenders is less expensive than the death penalty, he said, when court costs and lawyer's fees are added up.

"A lot of things could be changed," he concurred, especially since the current system prolongs justice being carried out. He cited Dean Moore, whose execution was blocked Wednesday by the Nebraska Supreme Court and who was convicted of murders committed 28 years ago.

There's no closure for the families when it takes this long for justice to prevail, he said. "Either they've dealt with it or it has permanently ruined their lives," he said.

Christensen was also asked about LB316, introduced by Sen. Mike Friend that would create a Special Education Services Task Force for a comprehensive review of how special education services are provided and financed.

Brent McMurtrey questioned the intent behind the bill and who would actually make up this task force. He hoped that it would include special education educators, he added.

Christensen, who has a son with Down's syndrome, said he would be paying close attention to this bill, currently on Select File.

McMurtrey also inquired about LB603, which will change provisions to educational service units. Although he liked some things in the bill, the long-term effects of the bill would ultimately lose money for his district, he told the senator. McMurtrey, administrator of ESU 15 in Trenton, said the bill's funding is based on a per-pupil ratio, with his district not having as much representation as other more populated districts.

ESU 15 covers most of Southwest Nebraska.

Christensen responded that he would confer with other senators about the ramifications of the bill.

Christensen briefly ad-dressed LB658, up for final approval, which would restore Class I schools that were forced to merge with their K-12 school district. He said he has talked to constituents and he doesn't see a lot of support to restore the Class I's.

The bill would allow the creation of a Class I school if it was approved by the state committee, if 15 percent of voters in the K-12 district and 55 percent from the Class I district signed a petition and if voters approved the school at the next statewide election.

Jim Coady said his opinion on the issue is that a different funding mechanism should be put in place if Class I schools were restored.

"I don't want my tax dollars from my district going to support a Class I school," he told the senator.

Under LB658, budget authority would remain with the K-12 district.

Christensen briefly ad-dressed the budget, which is up for second round debate and approval. This time, approval won't be as quick as it was in the first round, he predicted, as senators will dig in and add amendments. The rapid first-round approval was due in part to Sen. Ernie Chamber's absence at the debate, he said. The Omaha senator was busy at the time with his bills to revoke the death penalty.

"It won't go as smoothly this time," he said. He also said he is behind a proposed bill allowing the state to fund more to community colleges, that would automatically provide property tax relief in the district.