Measure to Abolish Death Penalty Passes House Committee

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 1, 2010 8:20PM

Someone gave the folks in Springfield the remaining cases of Four Loko or something, 'cause they're moving with a purpose during the veto session. The House Judiciary II Criminal Law committee voted by a 4-3 measure yesterday to bring a proposal abolishing the death penalty to the full House.

The Bill, Senate Bill 3539, could be called to the House floor as early as today, said State Rep. Karen Yarbrough of Maywood, who supports the bill. Rep. Frank Mautino of Spring Valley said he doesn't believe the bill has enough support to survive a House debate.

Since former Governor George Ryan enacted a moratorium on capital punishment ten years ago (after 13 Death Row inmates were exonerated of their crimes), 15 people remain on Death Row even as Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn have upheld the moratorium. If (and it's a big if) the measure survives and Quinn signs the measure into law, Illinois could see the end of the death penalty in July. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty thinks the time might be right to bring the bill up for debate.