USA - Illinois. Gov. Pat Quinn intends to abolish the death penalty in Illinois tomorrow

Gov. Pat Quinn intends to abolish the death penalty in Illinois, two sponsors of the legislation said Today. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough and state Sen. Kwame Raoul told The Associated Press that Quinn's staff invited them to a signing ceremony Wednesday morning in the governor's Springfield office. In January, state lawmakers approved a bill to end executions as a way to punish criminals, but Quinn has been stalling in deciding whether to sign it. In a little over a week, the bill would have become law on its own without his signature. Quinn has said he supports the death penalty when properly applied. He said from the beginning that he wants to hear from constituents and would follow his conscience. During his campaign last year, Quinn said he would keep the moratorium in place, while opponent Bill Brady said he would lift it.