Senate Bill 9 titled No Discriminatory Purpose in Death Penalty was presented and talked about in great detail in the House Judiciary subcommittee B today.
In 2009, the Racial Justice Act was enacted which allowed for a new legal procedure. This procedure allowed for persons charged with a capital offense and sentenced to death, who could prove by the use of statistical evidence that race was a significant factor in decisions to seek or impose death penalty, to not be executed but rather serve life in prison.
The new bill presented, Senate bill 9, reforms the Racial Justice Act by removing provisions that allow for the introduction of certain statistical evidence to show discrimination in either pretrial or post trial proceedings in capital cases.
Rep. Parmon, one of the Racial Justice Act’s sponsors two years ago, began today’s meeting by going on record against this new bill.
Rep. Burr moved for a favorable report of the bill stating that the previous bill has created a moratorium on the death penalty. This new bill, according to Burr, would put our laws in line with 48 other states.
Discussion continued with the Democrats arguing against the bill and the Republicans arguing for the bill, stating that the Racial Justice Act harms the victims’ rights.
The bill was passed through the committee by a vote of 9-6 along party lines and will now go to the House floor.
