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The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 6

Publication:
The Lincoln Stari
Location:
Lincoln, Nebraska
Issue Date:
Page:
6
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

The Lincoln Star qpf 6 Tuesday, April 28, 198' Legislative Calendar OeatCi penalty bill stuck at first stage tttti Lwltlollve Oay convtrwd a.m., odlourmd 4 a.m. until o.m. Tuttdoy, April 21. Floor Action AnrovM kr tovtrnor LB430 Chonet the tptd limits on highways. PoiMti by Lwlilaturt LB1H Chang provisions rotating to optomttry.

L6J24 Municipal cooperative linonclng. LBN4 Tiro am) windshield requirements. Landis to seek $9.9 million for UNL faculty pay increases LB453 Change provisions for toons to bonk oH. LB777 Miscellaneous claims. Bills Introduced LBMSA Funds LBoN, Change educational service units.

Legislative Information In Lincoln coll 47I S70 tor legit lotiv Information; from oultlae Lincoln coll soo-742-7450. Association of Universities Land Grant Institutions. Landis said quality faculty members continue to leave UNL for other schools that are able to offer up to (20,000 per year more than the salaries at UNL. In the past 12 months alone, the College of Arts and Sciences at UNL has lost 19 faculty members, he said. UNL professor's salaries are $1,500 behind the University of Missouri, the next lowest salary-paying institution in the peer group of land grant schools.

Associate professor's salaries at UNL are $1,700 behind Missouri and the assistant's salaries are $1,300 behind Missouri, Landis said. the group are: Hank Buis, northeast district; Bill Hoffman, northwest district; Charles Nelson, southwest district; Jeff Payne, southeast district; and Gates Minnick, at-large. From The Associated Press Sen. David Landis of Lincoln said he intends to offer a $9.9 million amendment to LB780, a budget bill, in an effort to increase faculty salaries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Landis said faculty salaries at UNL have been sliding slightly for the past 10 years.

"The loss of excellant faculty members and the erosion of the salary base for keeping good faculty, cause great concern about maintaining the quality of UNL," Landis said. UNL faculty salaries are at the bottom in comparison with the other Big 8 Conference schools and also at the bottom of its 12-peer group in the American said Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha. The current death penalty, he said, is "used in a manner so arbitrary as to be devoid of decency, devoid of justice. There Is no particular association between the atrocity of the crime and the penalty." "We need to have a clear and concise definition of the application of the death penalty or we must not have it at all," Ashford said.

THE LEGISLATURE defeated a sec- ond amendment by McFarland that would have established the death penalty for contract killers. Sue senators who voted against the motion to kill LB675 were absent, voted against the advancement motion or did not vote on advancement of the bill. They were Sens. Bill Harris, Paul Hart-nett, Marge Higgins, David Wiley Remmers and John Weihing. Harris of Lincoln, who voted against both the kill motion and the advancement of the bill, said he did not support the kill motion because he had agreed to listen to all arguments on the issue.

His no vote on first-round approval was a difficult decision, he said. Remmers of Auburn also voted against both motions. Remmers said he believes the current law is ineffective but supports the death penalty for specific crimes like multiple slayings and killings that involve torture. HERE IS the vote count on the mo- -tion to advance LB675: For (19) Ashford, Chambers, Convray, Dierks, Hall, V. Johnson, Lynch, Marsh, McFarland, Moreheod, Nelson, Rogers, Rupp, Schmlt, Scofield, Smith, Warner, WeselvandWithem.

Against (23) Abboud, Boack, Barrett, Beyer, Chizek, Coordsen, Elmer, Goodrich, Haberman, Hannibal, Harris, Hefner, L. Johnson, Korshol, Labedz, Lamb, Lang-ford, Miller, Pirsch, Remmers, Schellpep-er, Wehrbeln, Weihing. Not voting (3) Hartnett, Higgins, Landis (who was out of the chamber at the time of the vote). Excused and not voting (4) R. Johnson, Moore, Pappas, Peterson.

cess available to convicted murderers. "Society," he said, "deserves adequate protection against ruthless killers." problem with the death penalty as a deterrent, said Sea Carol Pirsch of is the time lag between sentencing and execution afforded by the appeal process. MUCH OF THE argument against the death penalty centered on the ineffective and arbitrary way the death sentence is imposed in general and the use of plea bargaining in particular. Death penalty opponents pointed out that only 20 men have been executed in the state eight by hanging, 12 by electrocution. And no one has been executed 'since Charles Starkweather was electrocuted in 1959.

"There have been hundreds of murders and we have not had an execution in this state in 28 years. No one can tell me that's a deterrent," said Sen. Loran Schmitof Bellwood. Death penalty opponents also pointed out that the poor and the less educated are most likely to be sentenced to die. "No female has ever been sentenced to die (in Nebraska)," said Chambers.

"No wealthy person has ever been sentenced to die. No politically prominent person has ever been sentenced to die." Senators supporting repeal of the death penalty described the current "irrational" system where plea bargaining guarantees an uneven application of the sentence. Rural counties often do not have the money to pursue a first-degree murder conviction. And, statistics indicate that a person who commits a murder in Douglas or Lancaster County has a much greater likelihood of a first-degree murder conviction than does a person who commits a similar crime in greater Nebraska. "A decent society and a just society must mete out justice By Nancy Hicks of The Lincoln Star i A bill repealing the state's death pen-F" alty for first-degree murder remains lodged at the first stage of debate after senators Monday refused to kill or ad-i vance the measure.

After almost four hours of debate, senators defeated a motion to indefi- nitely postpone LB675 by a 20-25 vote. A short time later they also defeated a mo-' lion to advance the bill to second-round stage by a 19-23 vote. Sen. Ernest Chambers of Omaha, who consistently sponsors death penalty re- peal measures, said he would try a sec- ond time to get the necessary 25 votes for first-round approval during this ses-l sion. A bill has three chances for first-X round approval.

I AS ORIGINALLY drafted, LB675 I would have substituted a 30-year mini-; mum and mandatory life sentence for the current death penalty. The 30-year mandatory term could not be reduced by good time or parole laws. Sen. James McFarland of Lincoln successfully amended the bill Monday reinstating the possibility of a death penalty sentence for any person convicted of murder who kills again while in prison. That amendment, adopted by a 25-20 vote, would provide an incentive against a murder within the prison system, McFarland said, A person serving a life sentence for murder would be subject to the death penalty for conviction of an- other murder within the prison setting, he Monday's debate, for the most part, was intellectual rather than emotional Death penalty supporters argued that the death penalty deters murder.

Opponents pointed out that the death penalty has been inconsistently and arbitrarily applied. '1, Several senators talked of murders Home builders pick mayoral, council candidates Mayor Roland Luedtke has been endorsed for a second term over state Sen. Bill Harris by the board of directors of the Home Builders Association. City Council candidates supported by TIME Only Linda Wilson Has It! Only Linda Wilson will work for you on the Council FULLTIME. $50 million plant SHOP A LARGE MARKET OF MANY NEW FRANCHISE-DISTRIBUTORS-MULTI-LEVELS is prize for tax breaks OWN YOUR OWN uw ww.iw INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING? CALL 513351-41QO Time: to work with you weekdays.

Time: to work with business people and others in City Government during their regular hours. Time: to research issues before the Council. Time: to decide how to vote on your behalf. BUSINESS EXPO May 9-10, Ramada Hotel, 2301 NW 12th Lincoln EXHIBITS OPEN 12 to 6 P.M. Saturday or Sunday! Shop a largo variety of different franchisee, distributorships and multMevel programs.

Sea displays, talk to representatives, get Information about full and part-time opportunities for men and women. Investment range from 35 to St 50,000. Many do not require previous business experience or quitting your job. uM rinM fn imii T7 LINDA CITY COUNCIL mm Vote for Linda Wilson as your Councilperson from Southeast Lincoln on May 5 I Paid for by Linda Wilson for City Council Committee, Treasurer Ina May Kouse, 53rd Lincoln. NE 68506 Co-Chaira: Jim Hacker and Mary Ann Stallinga Next oaiuroay ano ounuoy wiiyi www wivi ADMISSION $3 WITH THIS AD We Goaraetee Ml within their own family.

Sen. Owen Elmer of Indianola, whose wife's parents (Wilma and Edwin lloyt) were murdered, said capital punishment "does have its place." "It should be swift, sure, irrevocable and not subject to plea bargaining," he said. Harold Nokes, convicted of both murders, is serving two consecutive life sentences. SEN. PAUL HARTNETT of Beflevue was a family friend of an Omaha physical education teacher who was killed.

"Maybe it was a quirk of the law that the person (found guilty of her murder) was given a life sentence. Maybe it was because of his rank. I dont know," he said. U.S. Air Force Major Ted Parsons was convicted of the murder.

Sen. Shirley Marsh of Lincoln said her uncle was murdered in the early 1900s. But Marsh, who opposes the death penalty, said, "I do not believe we teach people not to kill by killing others in a quote 'legal' manner." The man convicted of the murder was hanged in 1913. Death penalty supporters, like Sea Elroy Hefner of Coleridge, argued that the death penalty is necessary as a deterrent By repealing the death penalty "we deny ourself a major weapon in the battle against violent crime," said Hefner, who sponsored the unsuccessful kill motion. "It would deter crime.

I have never seen a dead person commit another murder." Abolishing the death penalty diminishes the sanctity of life, Hefner sail To those who say the death penalty is inhumane, he asked, "Isn't premeditated murder more inhumane?" The two Sarpy County boys tortured and murdered in 1983 had no second chance. "They didn't have a chance to appeal and appeal and appeal," Hefner said, referring to the lengthy appeal pro-. would receive if LB775 passed and it located in Nebraska. She said the creation of 500 jobs would outweigh the revenue lost because of the tax breaks. Orr also said location of the processing plant in Nebraska would not violate Initiative 300, a constitutional amendment that prohibits certain agricultural activities by non-family corporations.

THE GOVERNOR said the secretary of state and the attorney general have looked into whether the plant would infringe upon Initiative 300. In other remarks, the governor said: She would meet with Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, to discuss the committee's $880.9 million state budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. The governor said "I'd like to see it (the total) less." She did not consider as essential a provision in LB775 to let some companies exempt corporate jets from personal property taxes for 15 years. Companies would have to meet job creation and investment standards to get the exemption.

That provision came under attack in the Legislature last week. Labeled as "too broad" a proposed amendment to LB775 that would allow Nebraskans over 55 to receive a onetime exclusion from state tax on the gain from any capital assets and not just employee owned stock. That amendment has been drafted by Warner. She has appointed Steve Torrence, director of the state Personnel Department, to serve as chief negotiator to represent the state in collective bargaining negotiations with state workers. turn left.

Helvie said Monday the felony motor vehicle homicide charge was based on Strube's blood alcohol content and reckless driving. "It's almost conceptually two separate charges," he said. Cheuvront's ruling does not change the criminal charge against Strube, because the judge overruled the motion's challenge on reckless driving. However, Helvie explained, the ruling limits the evidence to be produced at the trial to that involving reckless driving. "Basically, it eliminates one avenue they (the prosecution) can prove," he said.

Helvie described the case as unique because Strube's pickup never collided with Stachura's car. Instead, he said, the case centers on whether conditions were created that caused Stachura to lose control of his car and cause the death of another passenger. Stachura is awaiting trial in Lancaster County District Court. Cheuvront scheduled Strube's arraignment on the felony motor vehicle homicide charge for Friday. on murder count lesser charge of felony murder.

The charges alleged that Escamilla killed Gushard, 71, of 3035 Vine, with premeditation and malice, or killed him while committing or attempting to commit a first-degree sexual assault or rob-. bery. Escamilla pleaded innocent to both charges. Lancaster District Judge Dale Fahrn-bruch scheduled Escamilla's trial for the July 30 jury term. Gov.

Kay Orr said Monday the P.J. Taggares Co. has indicated it will build a 50 million trench fry processing plant in Nebraska if her bill to grant major tax breaks to business becomes law. If we're successful with the passage of LB775 as is, they're coming to Nebraska," the governor said. "They find this very attractive and they think it's just the kind of inducement that's necessary for them to locate here." According to a "memorandum of understanding" from the Washington-based firm and read by Orr at her weekly news conference, the plant would employ 500 people.

The governor said the exact location of the plant wasn't known but that it' probably would be located somewhere in the northeast or north central part of the state. IN ADDITION to the jobs, the company would raise about $20 million worth of potatoes and would purchase more from Nebraska farmers. It would export around 300 million pounds of finished potato products each year. The governor, in response to a question, said Taggares probably would not locate the plant in Nebraska if her bill isn't passed. The Legislature, which began debating the bill last week, is scheduled to resume its debate Tuesday.

STILL AT the first stage of floor consideration, the bill calls for substantial tax breaks to large firms in exchange for the creation of new jobs and major capital investments. The governor said she did not know the amount of tax breaks Taggares Our 4th Annual Phone Book Will Be The Best Ever Because Your Input Made A Difference. According to our recent survey results, Lincoln area advertisers indicated to us the following changes would improve and promote usage of our directory. In striving to make YOUR book the best possible, These Changes Will Be GUARANTEED In The FEBRUARY 1988 LINCOLN DIRECTORY: 1) Zip codes included in the white page listings 2) Larger print in the white pages 3) Radio promotions with weekly contests tied to our yellow pages 4) Distribution 2 months after the utility book to assure usage 5) Full color Lincoln map DWI charge is thrown out in motor vehicle homicide case "We pledge the above 5 conditions will be met or NO PAYMENT of your advertising invoice will be Phone Book Advertisers, Inc. ALL THIS AND MUCH MORE: ACCURATE, easy-to-read white page listings purchased from The MOST COMPREHENSIVE community information available LARGER Yellow Pages Ads EXPANDED coverage area ALL AT A SAVINGS UP TO 68 Now "the people's choice" in 31 cities across 10 states! A Lancaster County District Court judge ruled Monday that there was no probable cause to link the alcohol content in the blood of a driver with the death of a passenger in another car.

Judge Jeffre Cheuvront upheld a portion of a plea in abatement motion filed in connection with a felony motor vehicle homicide case involving the Oct 26 death of a Greenwood man. Larry Strube and Michael Stachura each were charged with causing the death of Brian Jurica while driving under the influence of alcohol or driving recklessly. Jurica, 20, was a passenger in Sta-chura's car when the accident occurred. Strube's attorney, Public Defender Scott Helvie, filed the plea in abatement motion that challenged the Lancaster County Court ruling binding over Strube for trial in district court. Strube and Strachura were both driving east on Street at a high rate of speed when they swerved to avoid a third car attempting to turn left onto Street from Lyncrest Drive.

Strachura's car skidded 400 feet and struck a business sign. Strube's pickup truck collided with the car attempting to Escamilla to be tried After a brief hearing on a motion to quash charges Monday, Mario Escamilla, 20, was arraigned in Lancaster County District Court on charges of first-degree murder and the use of a weapon to commit a felony in the July 1986 stabbing death of Thomas Gushard sr. The charges read by Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Alan Everett included Ave theories, four of which could result in Escamilla's conviction on a UNITED PHONE BOOK ADVERTISERS. INC. 466-1222 Sales are now in progress.

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About The Lincoln Star Archive

Pages Available:
914,989
Years Available:
1902-1995