Last week saw two states on opposite ends of the country take large steps forward towards death penalty abolition.
In Washington, Governor Jay Inslee announced a death penalty moratorium in his state. This means that Governor Inslee will issue a reprieve whenever a capital punishment case reaches his desk for the remainder of his term in office. “Equal justice under the law is the state’s primary responsibility,” Inslee said, “and in death penalty cases, I’m not convinced equal justice is being served.”
Inslee added that location and cost were primary factors in the death penalty’s uneven application. “The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred,” he said.
Meanwhile in New Hampshire, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 14-3 in favor of a bill to repeal the death penalty. Among the votes for the bill were committee members who years before had been against repeal.
Majority Leader Steve Shurtleff was among those who voted for the bill despite previous opposition to it. “It really is a barbaric practice and the time is now to put it aside,” said Shurtleff after the vote.
The moratorium in Washington and the vote in New Hampshire are examples of growing support for repeal of the death penalty nationwide. Show your support by taking a minute to thank Governor Inslee for leading the way in putting a stop to the death penalty.
And, don’t forget to remind your representative that you want to see the death penalty abolished in Nebraska too. Visit our action page to contact your state senator.