DELAWARE (USA): SENATE PASSES BILL TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY

April 2, 2015: The Delaware Senate has passed bill SB 40 to abolish the state's death penalty. The legislation, approved by an 11-9 vote today, mirrors a bill that passed the Senate in 2013 by only 1 vote before dying in a House committee. The bill now goes to the House. Democratic Gov. Jack Markell has not said where he stands.
The legislation removes execution as a possible punishment for 1st-degree murder, leaving life in prison without the possibility of parole as the only sentence. The bill would not apply to the 15 killers currently on Delaware's death row.
Democratic Sen. Karen Peterson is the bill's chief sponsor. (Source: Associated Press, 020/04/2015)