Lethal Injection Bill

IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED- CONTACT YOUR SENATOR TODAY This morning the Judiciary Committee advanced LB 36, which if passed will change Nebraska's method of execution to lethal injection. You can read more about it here: Omaha World Herald: Lethal injection bill advances in Unicameral [http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10611486] We need YOU to contact your Senator TODAY and ask them to vote NO on LB36! Every State Senator must hear from the voters of their district--we should not enact a new method of execution while the system remains so flawed. We will be sending out more information andmore ways that you can help as they become available so please stay tuned. To reach your Senator by phone contact call (402)471-2311 and ask to be connected to their office.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: LB 36 -- Lethal Injection Bill

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a person of faith, I am strongly opposed to the death penalty.

The death penalty, as it is used in Nebraska, is flawed and biased in that it is more likely a person of low economic means who murders a person of higher economic means will be more likely to be sentenced to death.

All of the mainline protestant denominations as well as the Roman Catholics have carefully studied the death penalty from a Christian perspective and have determined there is no Christian justification for its use. The Jewish tradition, from which the concept of "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" comes, no longer supports the death penalty.

When a violent crime is committed in our community, we, as Christians look to how we can bring healing and restoration back to the community. The death penalty does not do anything other than provide a means for vengeance. It does not restore the community in any way.

I urge you to follow the courageous actions of New Jersey and New Mexico whose legislative bodies have recently abolished the death penalty.

As a constituent, I strongly urge you to vote against LB 36.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 16, 2009


Background Information

People of faith have made tremendous progress in their opposition to the Death Penalty in recent years. As it stands right now, Nebraska continues to have a death penalty, but no means to enforce it. If LB 36 becomes law, lethal injection will become the means by which the death penalty is implemented in Nebraska. At the hearing before the Judiciary Committee earlier in the session, there was tremendous testimony offered to explain why the death penalty is so flawed, and, in fact, it appeared the Judiciary Committee would not advance the bill. Thus, it was somewhat of a surprise that it came out of committee this morning. Urgent action is needed to put an end to this effort and to continue our work to abolish the death penalty.

SOCIAL POLICY BASE: ELCA Social Statement on the Death Penalty.