Lethal Injection: "Not so fast, my friend!"

It seems that we have a progressive in the legislature:

State Sen. Brenda Council says she’ll pick up the fight to keep prisoners from being executed in Nebraska, introducing a bill to repeal the death penalty and vowing to battle a bill changing the state’s method of execution.

Council of Omaha said Thursday that she’s adamantly opposed to capital punishment and assured her constituents she’d pick up where her predecessor — Ernie Chambers — left off.

Since the State Supreme Court ruled the electric chair unconstitutional last year, Republicans like Gov. Dave Heineman have been in a purpectual state of depression. (As depicted hysterically by Lincoln Journal Star cartoonist Neal Obermeyer last February.) Because, you know, someone has to do the killing and we can't ask the National Guard to do it!

It's about time someone pushed back against Speaker Flood's unhealthy desire to see our great state kill convicts. The death penalty is wrong -- plain and simple -- and I couldn't be more thrilled to see Senator Council plant her foot in the ground and say enough is enough.

However, Senator Council has a tough road ahead of her...

Last week's AP survey displayed overwhelming support for Flood's lethal injection bill but, there does appear to be an opening to get the 16 votes needed to prevent cloture. Six Senators have already come out against the death penalty, with another 11 refusing to go on the record and 4 Senators on the fence. It's a long shot, but if Council is as persuasive as her supporters say she is, than the freshman Senator might just pull this off.

Let's not forget that Council's predecessor, Ernie Chambers, was a master of the legislature who could lock up legislation just by showing up. Council has said she is seeking Chambers advice so we'll see what tricks he might have up his sleeve. If I were a Senator, I'd make sure to bring a book.

((This post can also be found at NNN and Daily Kos.)