home

Bill to End Colorado Death Penalty Loses By One Vote

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Wed May 06, 2009 at 08:31:32 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

By a vote of 18 to 17, the Colorado Senate today rejected a bill to end the death penalty and use the savings to investigate cold cases.

Four Democrats, Mary Hodge of Brighton, Jim Isgar of Hesperus, John Morse of Colorado Springs, and Lois Tochtrop of Thornton, voted with the Republicans to defeat the bill.

Gov. Bill Ritter would not state his position on the bill before the vote. Afterwards, he said "he thought the death penalty should not have been tied to funding cold cases."

Today was the last day for the Senate to act. Hopefully, a similar bill will come up again next year.

< Lori Berenson Has Baby While Serving Sentence in Peru | "Jamming Your Own Signal" >

  • Premium Ads

  • Blog Ads

  • Contribute To TalkLeft

    donate to TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Bill to End Colorado Death Penalty Loses By One Vote | 12 comments (12 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Not for a lack... (none / 0) (#1)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed May 06, 2009 at 09:13:13 PM EST
    ...of trying.  The sponsors put up a good fight--especially getting the DP ban put back into the bill so late in the session.

    Are any of those 4 Dems (none / 0) (#2)
    by oldpro on Wed May 06, 2009 at 10:42:34 PM EST
    Catholic?  If so...

    Time to make that work FOR us.  The Pope says "No!" to the death penalty, ya know.  How's about some of the Republicans?  Must be a Catholic who thinks they're sincere somewhere in that bunch...

    The local Archdiocese... (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:33:35 AM EST
    ...has been strangely silent on the issue.  Seemingly, only abortion or gay rights seem to elicit any statements from the Archbishop.  

    [ Parent ]
    I find rabid opponents (none / 0) (#8)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 10:11:44 AM EST
    of abortion as murder are often strange silent on the death penalty.

    [ Parent ]
    And the war(s) of course. (none / 0) (#10)
    by oldpro on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:15:27 AM EST
    Don't I remember the Pope opposing Catholics taking part in the war in Iraq even before the invasion?  I kept hoping that if he actually meant it, he'd go to Baghdad and put himself at risk of the American threatened 'shock and awe,' daring us to go ahead and risk killing the Pope.

    But no.  As usual...just talk.

    [ Parent ]

    Cafeteria Catholics, at best. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:22:39 AM EST
    Sorry to say, the primary reason I stopped going to church is the vitriol and hate that passes today for spirituality amongst so many so-called Christians.

    Personally, the clincher for me came ten years ago when I worked in the State House of Representatives, and a fundamentalist preacher-cum-GOP state representative failed to recognize my reference to the New Testament's Book of Matthew, Chapter 5 -- which is arguably Jesus Christ's most important lesson to the faithful, his Sermon on the Mount.

    I've little doubt that if Jesus himself was walking amongst us today, he'd be unrecognized by our modern Pharisees, and ridiculed as some sort of wild-eyed, left-wing dreamer who's soft on terrorism.

    In most all matters of spirituality, I've learned to keep a civil tongue, trust my own counsel, and respect the beliefs of others to the best of my own admittedly limited abilities.

    Oh, and whenever I tend bar on the occasional weekend at a local downtown sports bar, I politely but firmly enforce the establishment's standing rule discouraging any discussions of religion and politics amongst patrons, a proactive policy which greatly mitigates any potential for physical confrontations amongst those who overimbibe.

    Aloha.

    [ Parent ]

    Interesting, I've never (none / 0) (#5)
    by easilydistracted on Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:22:41 AM EST
    seen such a rule for an establishment. I like it.

    [ Parent ]
    As an ex-bartender... (none / 0) (#11)
    by desertswine on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:12:54 PM EST
    religion and politics were always verboten...   but especially religion.

    [ Parent ]
    those topics are not allowed (none / 0) (#12)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 05:50:38 PM EST
    on our work newsgroups

    [ Parent ]
    At least the Pope (none / 0) (#4)
    by Mikeb302000 on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:53:23 AM EST
    has consistency in opposing abortion and the death penalty both. I'm often attacked for my being pro-choice and anti-death penalty.

    Too bad about Colorado.  I guess they're not ready for the enlightenment yet.

    however (none / 0) (#9)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 10:14:14 AM EST
    I often attack those who are anti choice and pro death penalty so they are welcome to attack me for the opposite I suppose.

    [ Parent ]
    A death-penalty bill WILL come up next year (none / 0) (#7)
    by rdandrea on Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:38:54 AM EST
    But don't expect it to go anywhere.  Next year is an even-numbered year.  It will only be supported by Dems in "safe" districts.

    Bill to End Colorado Death Penalty Loses By One Vote | 12 comments (12 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment