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| Group Thinks IL's Death Penalty Law May Be Repealed |
(IRN) -- A group opposed to the death penalty believes they have enough votes in this Veto Session to repeal the law.
Even though there is a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty wants to see the law wiped from the books.
State Rep. Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood) is drafting a bill the repeal the death penalty law. While the coalition won't say just how many supporters they have in Springfield, executive director Jeremy Schroeder believes there will be enough votes to see the legislation passed. He also believes Gov. Pat Quinn will sign the bill should it pass. Quinn has said he is in favor of the death penalty for the most heinous of crimes but supports keeping the moratorium in place.
A letter from Yarbrough's office confirms she is working on repealing the law. "I urge my colleagues to closely look at this issue and help us take the death penalty off the books for good," Yarbrough writes. "State government has missed the mark a lot in recent years. This is one area where we can get it right. The support is there, the time is now. We're ready to set Illinois on a better, brighter path."
Schroeder says abolishing the death penalty also makes financial sense for the state. ICADP says the state pours millions of dollars into the defunct death penalty system at a time when every penny is precious. Since 2003, taxpayers have spent more than $100 million in the Capital Litigation Trust Fund, despite the moratorium on executions.
(Illinois Radio Network) |
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