USA - North Carolina. The Senate gave its final approval today to legislation that seeks to prevent racial bias in death penalty cases

The Senate gave its final approval today to legislation that seeks to prevent racial bias in death penalty cases but encourages executions to resume in North Carolina. The Senate passed a bill today that, in addition to ensuring racial bias wouldn't be a factor in death sentences, would free the Council of State from signing off on the execution protocol in the future. That bill still must be approved by the House. The Senate proposal, which was offered by Republicans as an amendment to another bill (the Racial Justice Act, see May 12), would make the legal complaint irrelevant by saying the Council of State review is not required. The Senate approved the amendment 37-11. The debate over the execution protocol and physician participation in executions has created a de facto moratorium in carrying out the death penalty in North Carolina. The last execution in the state occurred in August 2006.