In Springfield, the Illinois Senate enacted a sweeping...

In Springfield, the Illinois Senate enacted a sweeping law that makes terrorism a death-penalty offense, unanimously snubbing lame-duck Gov. George Ryan's veto.
Ryan, a Republican, had said that Illinois' death-penalty system is error-prone and shouldn't be expanded. The Senate - currently controlled by Ryan's own party - voted 55-0 to override the veto. The House had earlier voted to override, meaning the bill now becomes law.
Ryan and other critics say the death-penalty provision in the terrorism bill was unnecessary, because any conceivable murder committed in the course of terrorism already would probably be covered under the more than 20 types of murder eligible for capital punishment.
But the bill's supporters say a specific reference to terrorism is important in the post-Sept. 11 world.