Guillotine to be introduced to Nebraska’s justice system
Off with their heads
With the passage of Legislative Bill 714, as of April 1, 2023, all executions in Nebraska will be performed with the guillotine. LB 714 was introduced by State Senator Max Pierre.
Before LB 714, Nebraska followed other states in using lethal injection for the primary method of execution. Many issues surround lethal injection, including instances where prison officials were unable to establish an intravenous line to administer the drugs, which happened twice last year in Alabama. Inability to find a vein can cause the procedures to take hours or be postponed to a later date. There have also been cases of needles coming disengaged and issues with the drugs, which can cause the inmates a great deal of pain and emotional distress.
Pierre spoke to The Clocktower about the inspiration behind LB 714: “The death penalty was on my mind, along with many concerns that people have about the inhumane aspects of lethal injection. I just thought there has to be a better solution.” The unconventional solution came to Pierre from an unconventional source: cheese.
Pierre was on vacation with his family when they toured Tillamook, a manufacturer of cheese and ice cream. During Tillamook’s cheese-making process, curds are compressed into a tower-like machine. Each tower holds 800 pounds of curds which places pressure onto the bottom layer. This compressed bottom layer is cut into 40-pound blocks by a guillotine. While the contraption referred to as the guillotine doesn’t precisely resemble the beheading machine of France, it was enough to inspire Pierre.
He states, “I hadn’t thought about the guillotine since my high-school history class covered the French Revolution, but it seemed like the perfect solution.” The guillotine was created by French doctor Joseph-Igance Guillotin in 1789. While the guillotine is messy, it was created in order to be efficient. And, most importantly, compared to lethal injection, Pierre argues it is far more humane.
The passage of LB 714 is historic, as the last execution by guillotine took place on September 10, 1977 in Marseille, France. Four years later, the country outlawed capital punishment.
By: Aubrey Benton