The House has voted to abolish the death penalty in
On a vote of 41-28, the House just voted to replace the death penalty as the maximum punishment for a capital crime with life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The bill now moves to the Senate, which killed a similar bill in 2005.
“They perhaps do not deserve our mercy, but they do deserve justice,” Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque and the sponsor of the bill, said before the vote. “… The death penalty is very, very prone to error.”
Chasey said money spent trying to enforce the death penalty could be better spent on crime prevention and help for victims.
“Life without possibility of parole should be the ultimate punishment,” Chasey said. “It provides for rule of law.”
Read the next article for in-depth coverage of the debate over the legislation.