Nebraskans for Public Safety announced a statewide radio advertising campaign set to begin Thursday as part of its outreach to voters. The group has also bought airtime on television stations throughout the state.
Danielle Conrad, a spokeswoman for the group, says the death penalty is broken and life in prison is a better alternative. Nebraska last executed an inmate in 1997.
The group Nebraskans for the Death Penalty has until August 27th to gather enough signatures to place the question on the 2016 general election ballot.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is defending his $100,000 donation to a group that’s leading a ballot drive to save the death penalty.
Ricketts said Wednesday that he feels strongly that voters should be allowed to decide whether to keep capital punishment in the state.
Ricketts and his father, TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, each contributed $100,000 to Nebraskans for the Death Penalty in its most recent filing period. The group raised a total of nearly $244,000 in that timeframe.
Nebraska lawmakers abolished the death penalty in May when they overrode the governor’s veto of a repeal measure. The ballot measure could reverse the Legislature’s action.
Ricketts says he didn’t consider the donation inappropriate because the final decision would rest with voters. He says he may contribute more in the future.