the Wisconsin state Senate approved a bill 20 to 13 that would allow...

the Wisconsin state Senate approved a bill 20 to 13 that would allow Wisconsin residents to vote in a public referendum on the death penalty.
The referendum is non-binding and if approved by the state Assembly, it will allow Wisconsin voters to decide if enough support exists to pass a proposal reinstating capital punishment.
Such a bill would allow the state to seek the death penalty for people convicted of particularly heinous crimes with DNA evidence.
Voters could see the nonbinding referendum on the statewide ballot as early as September if the resolution is approved by both houses of the Legislature.
Wisconsin's 1853 ban on the death penalty is the longest-standing one of any of the 12 states without it.