Gov. O'Malley Urges Repeal of Death Penalty
By JULIA MALDONADO and HANNAH ANDERSON, Capital News Service
The death penalty must be repealed in Maryland because it is “expensive, and the overwhelming evidence tells us that it does not work,” Gov. Martin O’Malley told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Thursday. If the bill becomes law, Maryland would become the 18th state to abolish the death penalty. O’Malley tried, and failed, to outlaw capital punishment during his first term, but this time he appears to have the momentum and the votes. Last week, two senators confirmed they are in favor of repeal, bringing the number of affirmative votes to 25 -- one more than the number needed to pass a bill in the Senate. Early this session, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, said he would propel the bill out of committee to be…
