LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval to a bill abolishing the death penalty with enough votes to override a promised veto from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The 32-15 vote on Wednesday was bolstered by conservative senators who oppose capital punishment for fiscal, religious and pragmatic reasons.

If that vote holds in a veto override, Nebraska would become the first conservative state to repeal the death penalty since 1973.

Nebraska hasn’t executed a prisoner since 1997, and some lawmakers have argued that constant legal challenges will prevent the state from doing so again.

Ricketts has vowed a veto, and announced last week that the state has bought new lethal injection drugs to resume executions.

Maryland was the last state to abolish capital punishment, in 2013. Thirty-two states have death penalty laws.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — The makeshift memorial that has marked the site of where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in August will be removed and replaced with a permanent plaque.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III joined Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., in announcing Wednesday that the plaque will be placed in the road as part of a project to resurface Canfield Drive, where the shooting occurred.

The announcement came on what would have been Michael Brown’s 19th birthday. Brown’s father says the plaque will include the likeness of a dove.

Brown, who was black, was killed by white officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, touching off protests and a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.

The temporary memorial, which appeared in the hours after the shooting, is expected to be taken down later Wednesday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Smokers who attend the Kansas State Fair will be required to use designated smoking areas, beginning in 2016.

The state fair board narrowly approved the change after a lengthy debate Tuesday. The policy will not be in effect this year to give state fair staff time to suggest the designated areas and determine how the policy will be implemented. Currently, smoking is banned only inside fair buildings and the grandstand seating area.

Fair Manager Denny Stoecklein said other details, such as whether to allow smoking at outdoor eating establishments, will also have to be decided.

The Hutchinson News reports Kansas will join more than 15 other state fairs in the country that restrict smoking on the fairgrounds.

NEW YORK (AP) — Electrolux is recalling a line of Kenmore gas ranges sold exclusively at Sears because of a potential fire hazard.

The company said the burner flame on about 250 Kenmore Elite dual fuel ranges can go out while the gas is turned on, allowing gas to continue escaping. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

The ranges include model number 790.42603xxx with serial numbers ranging from AF42500601 through AF43000916 and model number 790.42613xxx with serial numbers ranging from AF42500541 through AF43103647.

The model and serial numbers are on the inside frame of the range door on the left side. Kenmore Elite is printed on the front of the oven door. They were sold at Sears stores nationwide from June 2014 through October 2014.

Consumers with ranges included in the recall are urged to call Sears for a free repair. Sears can be contacted at 888-710-9284 and more information can be found at www.sears.com through the product recall link at the bottom of the page.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis woman faces three misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly putting her 10-year-old daughter and two of her daughter’s friends in the trunk of a moving car.

Annie Madkins is jailed on $50,000 cash-only bond. Her mother now has custody of Madkins’ four children.

Police were called Saturday after someone saw a woman shut the trunk of a car with three children inside. The car drove away but was later pulled over by police.

Madkins’ mother, Joyette Davis, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the kids asked to go in the trunk for fun, and could stick their heads in the car any time they wanted by pushing down an armrest in the back seat.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A national rape victim advocacy group says Kansas City has 1,324 untested rape kits.

The nonprofit Joyful Heart Foundation released information Tuesday about testing backlogs in five cities. It says it hopes the cities will “take aggressive and comprehensive steps toward rape kit reform.”

Kansas City police said in a written statement that priority is given to testing the kits of people who want their cases prosecuted. The statement says around half of the untested kits belong to people who aren’t ready to go to court, although police hang onto the evidence in case the reluctant victims change their minds.

Police say other reasons for not testing evidence include when prosecutors decide charges aren’t warranted, the suspect agrees to enter a plea or the assault occurred outside the city’s jurisdiction.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A health insurer has agreed to pay Missouri $4.5 million for covering certain elective abortions and failing to cover some autism treatments.

Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday announced the settlement with Aetna, which he says includes the largest fine ever for insurance law violations.

At issue is a 1983 law requiring that women buy additional riders in order for elective abortions to be covered. Aetna reported that it paid for nine abortions for women without riders after it had agreed in 2012 to not violate the law following similar violations.

The company also says it sometimes failed to cover treatments for autism as required by a 2010 law.

Aetna spokesman Rohan Hutchings says autism treatments now are covered in all policies. He says claims for abortions now undergo additional vetting.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The owner of a landmark, century-old St. Louis ice cream and candy emporium says burglars of his business made off with about $10 in coins. But the loss to the business is far more.

Andy Karandzieff says shattered glass from a double-paned window through which the burglar entered Crown Candy late Monday or early Tuesday may have made its way into a chocolate melter below.

That machine contained about 200 pounds of chocolate Karandzieff says he would toss for safety reasons, at a loss of more than $1,000.

Karandzieff lives above the store. He was awakened to the sound of breaking glass and the 102-year-old store’s alarms. By the time he made it downstairs, the burglar was gone.

Karandzieff says he’ll turn over the store’s surveillance footage to investigators.