Maryland set to repeal death penalty

Maryland is ser to become the 18th state to scrap the death penalty, the sixth since 2007 and the first south of the Mason-Dixon line, reported the Washington Post. The repeal, having now passed both houses of the General Assembly, is a major achievement for Gov. Martin O’Malley, who pushed hard for it, and for his fellow Democrats, who dominate the state ­legislature.

The measure replaces capital punishment with a life sentence without the possibility of parole; the governor is expected to sign the legislation in the coming weeks. Maryland voters are likely to have the last word if, as expected, death-penalty supporters collect enough signatures to petition the new law to referendum, probably in 2014.

To read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-much-needed-demise-of-marylands-death-penalty/2013/03/25/71b12b70-919e-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239_story.html