Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson says a change in control of the Senate means this could be the year that the state abolish the death penalty.
Ferguson made the comment after talking with members of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, which took up proposed legislation to end capital punishment on Monday.
The bill would require people convicted of aggravated first-degree murder – the only charge that can result in the death sentence in Washington – to be sentenced instead to life in prison without parole. The measure’s sponsor, Walla Walla Republican Senator Maureen Walsh, says the death penalty does not help victims, and has the potential of killing innocent people who are wrongly convicted. Walsh also listed concerns over the costs of legal fees for the state. According to a 2015 study by Seattle University, death penalty cases take up roughly $1 million more in fees for taxpayers than cases where the death penalty is not sought.
The bill is scheduled for a vote Thursday.
Similar versions have been proposed in the Democrat-led House but were blocked by the Republican majority in the Senate. However, Democrats have regained control of the upper chamber for the first time in five years.
Meanwhile, Governor Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on capital punishment in 2014. (Spokesman-Review)
