Peter Ricketts in 2018 NE Governor's race

On Crime: First NE execution in 20 years, with new drug combination

The execution comes a little more than three years after Nebraska lawmakers abolished the death penalty, only to have it reinstated the following year through a citizen ballot drive partially financed by Gov. Pete Ricketts. The governor has said he was fulfilling the wishes of voters in the conservative state.

The Nebraska drug protocol called for an initial IV dose of diazepam, to render the inmate unconscious; the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl; cisatracurium besylate to induce paralysis and stop the inmate from breathing; and potassium chloride to stop the heart. After each injection, prison officials sent saline through the IV to flush out any residue and ensure all the drugs had entered the inmate's system. Diazepam, fentanyl and cisatracurium had never been used in executions before.

On Welfare & Poverty: $56M of vetoes sustained, to cut budget