House Judiciary rejects Death Penalty repeal
the Denver Post
After several last-minute hallway
discussions and wrangling of votes, a House committee on Tuesday struck
down a measure to repeal Colorado's death penalty.
The
Democratic-controlled committee killed House Bill 1264 on a 6-4 vote.
Democratic Reps. Lois Court, Denver, and Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood,
joined Republicans in opposition to the measure.
Tuesday's vote
comes after a week's delay as action on House Bill 1264 was postponed
after Gov. John Hickenlooper talked to fellow Democrats about a
potential veto.
"I've been in the middle this whole time through
testimony," Pettersen said. "I know the governor has concerns and I
think they're valid."
And the bill's sponsor, Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, cited Hickenlooper's warning as a key reason for the measure's defeat.
"I
think had the governor not signaled so strongly he wouldn't sign the
bill, I think we would have had those votes ... We would have repealed
the death penalty in Colorado and I think we could all stand up proud
and strong and know that we did the right thing," Levy said
Last
week committee chairman Daniel Kagan, D-Cherry Hills Village, indicated
to The Denver Post that Democrats had the votes to pass the measure.
The
bill, co-sponsored by Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, would have repealed the
option of capital punishment for any crimes committed after July 1,
2013. This would leave life in prison without possibility of parole the
most severe punishment prosecutors could seek.
Hickenlooper told
House Democrats at their caucus luncheon last week that he's uncertain
about the repeal and might veto the bill if it arrived on his desk. He
said he's not sure the public supports it.
The measure received nine hours of testimony last week from proponents and opponents of the measure.
Meanwhile,
Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, has filed a bill that would have voters
in 2014 decide whether the death penalty should be repealed.
Her measure was also laid over last week and is set to be heard in a House committee Wednesday.
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