The group, Nebraskans for Public Safety, filed the lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court, claiming the referendum effort failed to follow state law and should be nullified.
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A lawsuit has been filed, attempting to throw out the petition signatures seeking to force a vote on the death penalty.
Spokeswoman Brittany Hardin said in a statement Friday that the governor’s support for the petition drive doesn’t make him a sponsor, as death penalty opponents have argued.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has wrapped up the Japan portion of his 10-day Asian trade mission. Ricketts was the major donor for the effort.
Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale says it appears “very likely” that a petition to save the death penalty has enough valid signatures to prevent its repeal until the 2016 election.
The next round of Nebraska’s battle over the death penalty could be headed for the courtroom.
“The opponents are nearly certainly not going to be able to win at the ballot box and so their only hope is some desperate hail mary’s to try and defeat this issue in the courts”.
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Nebraskans for Public Safety filled the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Christy and Richard Hargesheimer.
