USA - Arkansas. The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved SB 298 that would eliminate the death penalty

The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved SB 298 that would eliminate the death penalty as a sentencing option in capital murder cases. Arkansas has 32 inmates on death row but hasn't executed anyone since 2005. State Sen. David Burnett (D), a former judge and prosecutor, said he no longer believes the death penalty is a deterrent to violent crime. The bill faces opposition from 3 prosecutors who say the death penalty helps while negotiating plea bargains with defendants.