League of Women Voters of Maryland

DEATH PENALTY Although death penalty repeal is expected to be a hot-button issue this year, at this writing no bills have been filed, nor filing dates announced. MDCASE, (Maryland Citizens Against State Executions) has, however, been holding repeal events around the state since early fall and is hopeful that Maryland will follow the lead of New Jersey where capital punishment was recently abolished by action of the legislature and the governor in favor of life in prison without parole. The League of Women Voters of Maryland (LWVMD), as a result of a study three years ago, favors repeal and is a member of the MDCASE coalition. The National League (LWVUS) at its convention in June 2006, also voted for repeal, following the action of several state Leagues. In 2007, action to repeal failed to reach the floor of the Maryland Legislature as a result of one vote in the Judicial Proceedings Committee. Executions here are, however, on hold due to a ruling by the Court of Appeals to the effect that Maryland’s execution procedure (lethal injection) had not gone through appropriate administrative channels. Governor O’Malley, who favors repeal, has been in no hurry to vet another execution procedure at least until the Legislature has had a chance to vote on repeal. Legislators who favor the death penalty are expected to try again this year to exempt lethal injections procedures from the state’s Administrative Procedures Act. The issue of lethal injections has also recently been argued before the United States Supreme Court, with a decision expected in June. Marcia Reinke