That's the title of an editorial published by the Great Falls Tribune concerning bipartisan repeal legislation introduced in Montana.
A coalition of Democrats and Republicans raised the issue of the death penalty again in the Montana Legislature.These activists contend there are a variety of reasons to oppose the death penalty, including the high cost of litigating death penalty cases and the extended period, sometimes decades, it takes for those cases to be settled.
Morality is another reason. Some consider the death penalty immoral or hypocritical because it calls for the state to kill someone, usually after the person who was convicted committed murder himself.
Others, who consider themselves pro-life when it comes to abortion, have acknowledged a contradiction when they also supported a death penalty for killers.
Back in September, we stated our opposition to the death penalty and we will restate it here as the Legislature considers whether to tackle this issue again.
A bill was introduced Monday, and its primary sponsor was Rep. Doug Kary, R-Billings. Sen. Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula, requested that the bill be drafted.
More information on House Bill 370 is available from the Montana Legislative website.
"Effort launched to ban death penalty in Montana," is the AP report by Matt Gouras, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Four Montana legislators spearheading a bipartisan effort to replace the death penalty with life in prison say they have a good chance of success this session.The anti-death penalty group Montana Abolition Coalition introduced their proposal Monday with two Democratic and two Republican sponsors.
Efforts to repeal the death penalty have cleared the state Senate the last two legislative sessions but died in the House. Backers said they are going to start in the House this time in an effort to get the measure to a floor debate in that chamber.
And:
"We've all come to the conclusion that the death penalty has failed in Montana," said Rep. Doug Kary, R-Billings. "The system we have has failed us. And the conclusion is the death penalty must go."
State Sen. Dave Wanzenried, a Missoula Democrat and veteran of past legislative fights over the death penalty, said he does not know of a case where Montana wrongly executed an innocent man — but it could happen.
"Do we want to keep at this until me make sure we execute someone who is innocent?" he said.
There are also reports from Montana TV stations. KAJ-TV posts, "Push to abolish death penalty makes way to the MT legislature," by Lindsey Gordon.
"We realize that the death penalty simply doesn't work and it's time for Montana to stop. To stop wasting our precious resources on this. Every state cost study has found that the death penalty costs run into the millions and accomplish nothing," said MT State Representative Doug Kary (R-Billings), who will sponsor the bill.
"Executions create many victims. Not only the family members of the person who is executed, but the people we ask to carry out the machinery of death in our name and that's our employees in our Montana correctional system," said Representative Margie MacDonald (D-Billings), another advocate.
"MT Legisators Want Death Penalty Abolished," by Chudney Matta at KFBB-TV.
Republican Representative Doug Kary says that he will carry the bill this session with hopes of receiving support from both house and senate.
Death penalty opponents argue the punishment is immoral and that it is costly to the state. Efforts to repeal the death penalty have cleared the state senate the last two legislative sessions but died in the house.
"Primary sponsors introduce bill to abolish death penalty," by Charlie Misra for KTVH-TV, Beartooth NBC.
Two Democratic and 2 Republican legislators introduced House Bill 370 today. Under the proposed measure, a prisoner would never become eligible for parole and could never be released from prison. Democratic Senator Dave Wanzenreid says it's time to end capital punishment in Montana.
Earlier coverage of the Montana repeal legislation begins at the link.
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