Bill to Abolish the Death Penalty in Louisiana Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

The Louisiana Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 112 of the 2019 session on April 30, 2019. The bill, authored by Dan Claitor, is for a constitutional amendment that would get rid of the death penalty in the state. This would give Louisiana voters the chance to decide if the death penalty gets eliminated or not. 

Supporters of the bill say that Louisiana has spent over $110 million in the past decade on death row cases, which cost more than cases where the death penalty is not involved. Supporters of the repeal also point out that more than 90 percent of capital cases in Louisiana have been reversed since the year 2000.

Opponents of the bill suggest that getting rid of the death penalty would leave prosecutors and the judicial system with one less tool to punish offenders and deter possible crimes.

The bill now heads to the Senate floor, then the House. If passed by both, the amendment will appear on the November 3, 2020, ballot, along with the presidential election.

Summary of Louisiana Senate Bill 112 of the 2019 session to abolish the death penalty

A JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing to add Article I, Section 28 of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to capital punishment; to abolish the death penalty as punishment for any offense committed on or after January 1, 2020; and to specify an election for the submission of the
the proposition to electors and to provide a ballot proposition.

More information and full bill text.