The Connecticut senate has voted to repeal the state’s death penalty, moving it one step closer to becoming the fifth US state in five years to abandon capital punishment.
The Democrats-controlled senate voted 20-16 yesterday to repeal the death penalty in an early morning vote after 10 hours of debate.
The measure now moves to the state house of representatives, where it is seen as having strong support.
Democratic governor Dannel Malloy has promised to sign the Bill into law.
The measure would replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole.
An amendment added on Tuesday provided that future felons, convicted of life sentences without parole, would be subject to the same harsh conditions as those inmates currently on death row.
The Bill however is “prospective”, meaning that it would only apply to future sentences; the 11 men who are currently on Connecticut’s death row would still face execution. – (Reuters)