SB 490 advanced Thursday to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, with a 5-2 party line vote, by a state legislative panel after opponents of the current law argued it was an ineffective and expensive approach to violent crime.
The legislation by Senator Loni Hancok (D-Berkeley) is a proposal to ask the voters of California to repeal the death penalty. Hancock stated that it costs the state and estimated 184 million per year to keep more than 700 people on death row pointing out that only 13 criminals had been executed in the last 33 years.
Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills) opposed the measure, saying the state should instead reform the system to "speed up the process." He said other states, such as Arizona, spend much less to enforce the death penalty. He also said there was a large cost in keeping inmates in prison for life.
By, Charity Maness
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