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Blue states chart diverging paths on death penalty debate

Legislatures Death Penalty Debate
Legislatures Death Penalty Debate
Posted at 10:44 PM, Apr 21, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-22 01:44:17-04

CARSON CITY (AP) — A death penalty repeal proposal under consideration in Nevada is proving party affiliation can be an unreliable predictor of capital punishment.

Three Democratic-majority legislatures have passed measures abolishing the death penalty since 2019, but the future of Nevada's repeal effort is far from clear.

The proposal passed the Assembly this month.

RELATED: Death penalty debate reemerges in Nevada after past stalls

But leaders in the state Senate have not indicated whether they'll consider the bill, and Gov. Steve Sisolak staunchly opposes it.

Democratic-majority legislatures in Colorado, New Hampshire and Virginia have recently done away with the death penalty.

Advocates on both sides of the debate say the contrast among states underscores how the death penalty jumbles partisan divides.