31 May 2019 :

New Hampshire has abolished the death penalty. The New Hampshire State Senate completed the death-penalty repeal process, voting 16-8 to override Governor Sununu's veto of a bill to prospectively abolish the state's death penalty. The House previously voted 247-123 on May 23 in favor of the override. New Hampshire is the 21st state to abolish the death penalty, and the 9th to do so in the last 15 years. New Hampshire becomes the 21st state to abolish capital punishment and the ninth to do so in the last 15 years. Half of all U.S. states, including every northeastern state, now either have a moratorium on executions or have abolished capital punishment. The one person on New Hampshire’s death row, Michael Addison, is not affected by the new law, which applies only to future cases. Rep. Renny Cushing (D–Hampton), whose father and brother-in-law were murdered in separate incidents, sponsored the bill and lauded the legislature’s action. Sen. Bob Giuda (R–Warren), a former FBI agent, called the death penalty a “ghastly” practice that was at odds with his pro-life principles.