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Abolish the Death Penalty in Colorado?
February 8, 2007 5:19 PM
KRCC NEWS, Thursday, February 8, 2007
Listen to this story here: http://capcov.org/cgi-bin/showpost.cgi?328
Louisville Democrat Paul Weissman wants to take the money the state currently spends pursuing death penalty cases and use it to fund cold case investigations into Colorados 1,200 unsolved homicides. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
BENTE: The bill would use the money spent on death penalty cases to set up a seven member statewide cold case unit. Democratic Representative Paul Weissmann from Louisville is the bills sponsor.
WEISSMAN: To me its such an amazing thing that theres 1,200 unsolved homicides in this state. From a public safety standpoint that means theres close to 1,200 murderers walking our streets.
BENTE: Currently two people in Colorado sit on death row, and Weissmann says under bill theyd stay there. And Even though Weissmann says he opposes the death penalty, he says thats not what the bill is really about.
WEISSMAN: You could debate the moral issues forever and never resolve it. Does an eye for an eye trump though shalt not kill? I dont know and I dont think Ill ever know that answer. But the economics are cut and dry.
BENTE: Wiessman says the state will save $750,000 by not continuing to pursue death penalty cases. Most of that money would go towards the cold case units. But opponents of the bill say the death penalty is a necessary form of punishment. They also say diverting money from death penalty cases is a bad funding mechanism. Democrats and one Republican voted for the bill. It now heads to an appropriations committee.
JOHNSON: Were not talking about building speculative transmission. Weve already identified constraints on the system today. We have wind generation on our system today that weve located in areas where we conventional generation but both cannot operate at the same time. This is not just build it they will come, its build to areas we already know are constrained.
BENTE: The bill passed unanimously and now heads to the senate floor for final approval.
Posted by Matthias Barker on February 8, 2007 5:19 PM | Permalink
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