Fearing the U

Fearing the U.S. Supreme Court might find electrocution "cruel and unusual," Gov. Mike Johanns proposed in December that Nebraska switch to lethal injection. But Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a staunch death penalty opponent, is opposed to any form of capital punishment. "People who favor lethal injection say it is a more humane way of killing," Chambers said. "But because I believe killing by the state is inherently barbarous and inhumane, there is no humane way to commit an inhumane act." The proposal was 1 of 5 criminal-justice priorities Johanns said he would promote when the legislature reconvened in January 2000. The Governor's other initiatives include limiting post-conviction appeals.