Death penalty up for debate in Colorado Legislature
Lawmakers discuss repealing death penalty
Posted: 03/20/2013
Last Updated:
92 days ago
DENVER - Abolishing the death penalty in Colorado will get an initial vote in the state House as debate on the emotional issue begins in the Legislature.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the bill Tuesday.
There are three men on Colorado's death row, but the bill would not affect them if it becomes law because it can't apply to current cases. That means the case of the Aurora theater shooting suspect will also not be affected by the proposal.
One Colorado lawmaker is proposing a countermeasure to put the repeal question to voters.
The debate comes as Maryland is poised to become the 18th state in the country to repeal the death penalty. Lawmakers there approved a bill last week, and the governor is expected to sign it.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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