Some state lawmakers are involved in a new effort to abolish the death penalty in Nevada.
Assemblyman James Ohrenschall and state Sen. Tick Segerblom brought forth the Assembly Bill 237 to the judiciary committee Wednesday.
Lawmakers were joined by families of victims who lost their lives to senseless violence, including Jennifer Otremba. It's been one week since her daughter's killer, Javier Righetti, was sentenced to death by a jury.
If the bill passes, all 81 inmates on death row would have their sentences switched to a life behind bars without the possibility of parole.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson testified in Wednesday's hearing in hopes of keeping capital punishment across the state.
"My responsibility is to enforce the laws and the will of the people, and if most Nevadans think that we should still have the death penalty, I do too," Wolfson told 13 Action News.
Tod Story with the ACLU sides with the bill. He believes the death penalty gives families a false sense of justice because the state can't execute prisoners.
"The drugs that are used to put people to death, in these cases, cannot be obtained by the makers," Story said.
Nevada has not executed a prisoner since 2006, but the state did recently build a new $900,000 death chamber.
