BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A bid to abolish Louisiana’s use of the death penalty is moving to the full Senate for consideration.
A Senate judicial committee approved the proposal Tuesday after hearing from a Catholic bishop who said executions violate the sanctity of life.
Sen. J.P. Morrell says his measure is intended to end what he calls an archaic punishment that hasn’t proven to deter crimes. The New Orleans Democrat also noted the costly nature of capital cases.
Only one senator opposed the measure, asking whether ending executions would help stem violent crimes.
Similar legislation advanced in the Senate last year, but was shelved.
Capital punishment has stalled in Louisiana due to a shortage of drugs used in lethal injections. Morrell’s proposal only would apply to offenses committed after Aug. 1.
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Senate Bill 51: www.legis.la.gov
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