CALIFORNIA (USA): DEATH PENALTY REPEAL FAILS

Voters in California voted down a referendum to abolish the death penalty, despite widespread complaints about the state's expensive and dysfunctional capital punishment system.
The majority of Californians, 53%, voted "no" on Proposition 34, compared to 47% who voted in favor of the referendum, which would have gotten rid of the death penalty if approved. This tally is based on 95% of the votes having been counted.
With the referendum rejected, California will maintain its death row status quo.
That has cost the state $4 billion since 1978, even though only 13 convicts have been executed in that time.
Supporters of Prop 34 wanted to switch the 700-plus residents of death row to life without parole. They estimate that this could have saved the cash-strapped state $130 million per year.