Illinois: Gov. Quinn (D) to sign Death Penalty repeal today

[Tender Branson]

Excellent news.

Any chance of any more states doing this soon?

It would be good if California, Connecticut and Maryland would do the same as long as they have the political conditions to do it (Democratic Governor, strong State Senate and House).

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Meh, it's not like anyone was executed in the meantime while he was waiting to sign it.

Indeed......and as Franzl noted, they so rarely use it, it's basically a symbollic repeal.  If it make Quinn and his cohorts feel good.......hey ok by me.  

There really was no need for this legislation at all.

It's absolutely not "just symbolic". It's symbolic as long as the current status quo prevails in Illinois, but the status quo changes. Previously, the death penalty could have made a comeback through a more or less unilateral decision of some future AG, which was quite realistic. One could certainly imagine Illinois electing someone who decides executions are good and that the state should start prosecuting death penalty cases more frequently. Unlike truly outdated laws, for example, old miscegenation laws that are clearly ruled unconstitutional, never enforced and never coming back (not sure there are any still on the books, but I know Alabama repealed one around 2002 or so), the death penalty statute could very well have made a comeback without legislative action.

Now it would have to go through the entire legislative process, a much less likely (although not entirely impossible) prospect.

As for other states, I believe Connecticut has been considering repeal.

12 men have been executed since 1977, none since 1999, and a moratorium was in place.  Respectfully, Verily, that sounds symbollic to me.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Massive HP

[Landslide Lyndon]

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into law a historic ban on the death penalty in Illinois and commuted the sentences of 15 death row inmates to life without parole.

Quinn signed the legislation in his Capitol office surrounded by longtime opponents of capital punishment in a state where flaws in the process led to the exoneration of numerous people

That's exactly why I support the repeal, even though I'm generally sympathetic with the concept of the death penalty. US states seem to enforce it way too sloppy and arbitrarily for me to feel comfortable.

[Iosif]

1. The death penalty is not cheaper than life in prison
2. It's never been a significant deterrent wherever and whenever it's been used
3. It has a long history of misuse and abuse everywhere

Capital punishment is a barbaric relic of a bygone era and has no place in the civilised world.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Gramps, it's no longer 1950s. Ole Sparky is not used in Illinois and in fact, almost anywhere

Now, injections are at the top.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Gramps, it's no longer 1950s. Ole Sparky is not used in Illinois and in fact, almost anywhere

Now, injections are at the top.

Kal, thanks.......I know this.  You really struggle with American humor, eh?

[The Dowager Mod]

Good for him a true FF.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Meh, it's not like anyone was executed in the meantime while he was waiting to sign it.

Indeed......and as Franzl noted, they so rarely use it, it's basically a symbollic repeal.  If it make Quinn and his cohorts feel good.......hey ok by me.  

There really was no need for this legislation at all.

It's absolutely not "just symbolic". It's symbolic as long as the current status quo prevails in Illinois, but the status quo changes. Previously, the death penalty could have made a comeback through a more or less unilateral decision of some future AG, which was quite realistic. One could certainly imagine Illinois electing someone who decides executions are good and that the state should start prosecuting death penalty cases more frequently. Unlike truly outdated laws, for example, old miscegenation laws that are clearly ruled unconstitutional, never enforced and never coming back (not sure there are any still on the books, but I know Alabama repealed one around 2002 or so), the death penalty statute could very well have made a comeback without legislative action.

Now it would have to go through the entire legislative process, a much less likely (although not entirely impossible) prospect.

As for other states, I believe Connecticut has been considering repeal.

Plus it'll probably save the state several million.

[minionofmidas]

1. The death penalty is not cheaper than life in prison
2. It's never been a significant deterrent wherever and whenever it's been used
3. It has a long history of misuse and abuse everywhere

Capital punishment is a barbaric relic of a bygone era and has no place in the civilised world.

Ah, but Grumps too is more expensive than life in prison, has never significantly deterred anybody from anything, and is a barbaric relic of a bygone era that has no place in the civilised world. So of course he's solidaric.
 I don't think he has a long history of misuse and abuse though, unless that's "substance abuse" we're talking about. Which isn't really abuse, of course - as its what these substances were made for.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Looking at things from a standpoint completely neutral of any morality of the death penalty, states that have capital punishment statutes that they never use waste millions of dollars in maintaining death row, costs of the court system and appeals, maintaining death row equipment, insurance costs and whatnot. It is a giant money black hole. How much money did New York waste on implementing a death penalty that was never used and thrown out? That's why I'd oppose instating the death penalty in Minnesota even if I wasn't morally against it, it'd waste millions of dollars for something that wouldn't be used for likely decades if ever. From what I understand some Republicans in the legislature felt the same way (A proposal to reinstate it was voted on in Senate committee, but it died 8-2, meaning 2 of the 4 Republicans on the committee also voted against it.)

The state that most needs to abolish its death penalty is Pennsylvania, which has a capital punishment statute that effectively means one can only be sentenced to death, but is virtually impossible to actually get the execution carried out, meaning it has hundreds of people sitting on death row who will never be executed and do nothing but drain the state's money more than a normal life sentence would. This would also finally shut up the "Free Mumia" idiots.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Death row was shut down today. It's completely gone.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Death row was shut down today. It's completely gone.

A big DUH, considering there is no death penalty in IL now....

[they don't love you like i love you]

No it wasn't formally abolished until yesterday.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Interesting how Illinois, with a very hair's-breadth win for the c*******d party is so different from Wisconsin just next door with a quite narrow win for the p***-*****r party.

and how it only took IL 158 years to join WI on this issue.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Looks nicer on a map now: