Nebraska lawmakers overrode Governor Pete Ricketts's veto of their vote to repeal the death penalty Wednesday, making it the first Republican-dominated state to abolish capital punishment in about 40 years.
The state hasn't executed a prisoner since 1997.
Here's what America's cumulative executions look like on a map.
(Pew Research Center)
Texas is the clear standout — it has used the death penalty to execute 524 people since 1976, more than Oklahoma, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Alabama, and Georgia combined.
Support for the death penalty is the lowest it's been in 40 years, but a majority of Americans still back the death penalty. According to a recent Pew poll, 56 percent favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, while 38 percent oppose it.
The number of people on death row has dropped significantly, as well, down almost 13 percent from what it was a decade ago. Death row executions peaked in 1999, and have fallen ever since.
Currently the death penalty is legal in 32 states, and six states have repealed the punishment since 2004.
Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?
Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:
First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.
Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.
So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)
If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.
Yes, I'll give $5/month
Yes, I'll give $5/month
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and
Google Pay. You can also contribute via
