LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts is once again defending the death penalty, arguing that Nebraska officials have used it more judiciously than states such as Texas.

Ricketts said in a news conference Friday that capital punishment serves as an important tool for prosecutors.

His comments came one day after lawmakers gave first-round approval to a bill that would end capital punishment. Ricketts has promised to veto the measure, which still has to advance through two more votes in the Legislature.

Nebraska hasn’t carried out an execution since 1997, and currently has 11 men sitting on death row. Texas executed 10 inmates in 2014 and six others so far this year, according to that state’s Department of Criminal Justice.

Nebraska currently lacks one of the legally required drugs for executions.