USA - Louisiana. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved 4-1 SB 51 that would eliminate the death penalty

The Senate judiciary committee on Tuesday approved 4-1 Senate Bill 51 that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana effective Aug. 1. Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, authored the bill, reasoning that the death penalty is an outdated and costly means of punishment. Similar legislation made it this far last year but was never taken up by the Senate. A House bill has not made it to committee. Louisiana has 72 inmates awaiting execution. Since 2000, seven people on death row in Louisiana had been exonerated, while only two had been executed, according to the Louisiana Budget Project. Louisiana conducted its last execution in 2010.