Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Tuesday announced his intention to sponsor legislation that would repeal capital punishment in the state, the Washington Post reported.
Speaking at a rally with anti-capital punishment activists, O’Malley said the death penalty is “expensive and does not work” and inconsistent “with the sort of people we want to be.” The bill’s prospects are solid given the makeup of the state’s legislature.
From the Post:
Chances for passage have increased significantly this year with a pledge from Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) to allow debate on the floor of the chamber if there are insufficient votes in a key committee to advance the bill.
For the last several years, repeal bills have remained bottled up in the Judicial Proceedings Committee. The room where the panel meets was the symbolic location chosen for Tuesday’s rally.
