Moving in the Right Direction
40 years from now (my best guestimate) we might see this story, “Death penalty bill headed to full Senate,” but with the word Texas instead of Colorado and the byline Austin instead of Denver:
DENVER—The Colorado Senate is set to vote on a measure to end the death penalty as they rush to wrap up this year's legislative session.
The measure (House Bill 1274) is expected to come up for a vote Monday, two days before lawmakers must adjourn.
The bill passed the House by a single vote, and another close vote is expected in the Senate.
Getting a bill through the first part of a bifurcated Congress is quite an acompishment, no matter the final result. (Well, it matters obviously to those put to death while waiting for the other shoe to drop, but still, baby steps.)
There's a bill pending to abolish the death penalty in the Texas Leg, but it has a 0% chance of passing the House, never mind making it to the Senate for a vote. And some defense lawyers and anti-death penalty advocates might predict four centuries not four decades for the Lone Star State to reach the same point, but then again:
The bill would take the $1 million now being spent to prosecute death penalty cases and use it to investigate cold cases. That would add seven employees to the state's cold case unit, which currently has only one investigator.
Sheesh. The centennial state only spends a million bucks prosecuting capital crimes – what is that? – every year? Not sure that would keep Harris County’s death penalty budget afloat for a day certainly not a week. (See 194 capital cases pending)
Is it possible that it will be financial considerations on the part of the general public that will eventually end government sanctioned killing?
[Hat Tip: Think Outside The Cage]
