Push For Vote On Death Penalty Fizzling Out In Washington
An effort to abolish the death penalty in Washington state this year seems to be losing steam.
TRANSCRIPT
This fall, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys called on lawmakers to put the death penalty up to a statewide vote.
But in a preview of the legislative session, leaders from both parties said they are too busy working on education funding.
It's disappointing news to King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. He points out, it has been 41 years since Washington voters weighed in on the topic.
Satterberg: "The question about the death penalty is not 'is it some day going to go away,' the questions is how. The Legislature could vote on it, but they've never been able to get a bill out of committee. The Supreme Court could rule on its constitutionality, but that hasn't happened."
The other option is a voter referendum campaign, but Satterberg says the prosecutor's group is not in a position to pay for that. Meanwhile, nine inmates currently on Washington's death row are protected by a moratorium on the death penalty by Governor Jay Inslee.
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Paige Browning
Newscaster
Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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