The North Platte Telegraph today reports, "Heineman: HHS needs more time." It's written by Mark Young.
In other legislative news, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning told the Telegraph last month that the state is prepared to move forward with executions now that the legislature has approved lethal injection as its sole means of execution after the State Supreme Court ruled last year that the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment.
The delay in filing a death warrant to execute Cary Dean Moore, who planned the robbery and killing of two Omaha taxi drivers in 1979, is a nationwide shortage of the third chemical used in lethal injection executions - sodium thiopental, which is the chemical that eliminates any potential for pain.
Heineman told the Telegraph on Thursday that the state is moving closer to receiving the chemical and expects to sign Moore's death warrant when filed by the attorney general's office.
"We are close to receiving that chemical and will file for the death warrant, but we expect it to go straight into a legal battle from the other side," said Heineman. "I believe we stand on solid, constitutional ground and once the legalities are cleared, it will be declared constitutional and we can move forward."
When asked if he would sign a death warrant when it was filed, Heineman said he understands his responsibility as governor.
Dave Heineman is the Nebraska governor.
Earlier coverage from Nebraska is here. Earlier coverage of the sodium thiopental shortage begins with this post; related posts are in the lethal injection category index.
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