USA - Maryland. The Judicial Proceedings Committee of the Senate rejected a bill that would abolish the death penalty

Lawmakers on the Judicial Proceedings Committee of the Maryland Senate this afternoon rejected 5-5 a bill that would abolish the death penalty and replace it with a punishment of life without parole. Ordinarily, that would be enough to kill repeal efforts, but because of a major push this year by the governor, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said he is open to circumventing the committee process and allowing the full Senate to consider the bill through a rarely used parliamentary procedure. Miller supports the death penalty. "This is a bill of some importance," said Miller this morning. "A bill that the public reads about and expects their legislators to take a stand." He would not say what he believed the final vote outcome would be. Miller's stance may reflect his confidence that the repeal effort will fail. A recent survey by The Baltimore Sun showed that 19 senators favored a full repeal and 24 opposed it. 4 senators would not state their position. The committee vote today was a 5-5 tie, with pro-death penalty Sen. Nancy Jacobs, a Harford County Republican, absent. So after next week the Assembly could put the death penalty behind it for another year. (see also 29/01/2009)