New Hampshire state Senate defies veto, abolishes death penalty
New Hampshire's state Senate voted to abolish the death penalty on Thursday, The Washington Post reports.
Today's vote was a blow to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who vetoed a similar measure last year. This time, however, the bill had enough votes to withstand a veto, and after passing through the New Hampshire House in April, the Senate voted to override Sununu 16 to 8.
The bill, which "changes the penalty for capital murder to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," was mostly symbolic, a demonstration by lawmakers in a state that hasn't had an execution since 1939, and has only one inmate currently on death row. Sununu issued a statement moments after the bill passed, defending his support of the death penalty as "the right thing to do," and said he was "incredibly disappointed" with the Senate's choice.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The death penalty is a rare divisive issue among conservatives. Republicans like state Sen. Sharon Carson and Sununu justify it as a necessary evil, pitting them against colleagues like Republican state Sen. Bob Giuda, who sees the death penalty as incompatible with his pro-life views, calling capital punishment a "ghastly sight," reports the Post.
New Hampshire is the final state in New England to ban the death penalty, and leaves only twenty-nine states still upholding the death penalty nationwide. Other states like California and Pennsylvania have effectively abolished capital punishment through governor-led moratoriums on execution. More than 2,700 inmates sit on death row nationwide.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The teenage 'maths prodigy' who turned out to be a cheat
Under The Radar Jiang Ping defied expectations in a global competition but something wasn't right
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Puppet shows, pagodas and pho: a guide to Hanoi
The Week Recommends Vietnam's capital city blends the ancient with the new
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'There are benefits, but not acknowledging them would tell only half of the story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against Norway
Speed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
By The Week UK Published