Washington’s state Senate voted to end the death penalty by a vote of 26-22 yesterday. The bill, which would repeal the death penalty and replace it with a sentence of life without parole, now goes to the House where legislators will have 22 days to vote on it.
The Seattle Times reports that the Senate vote was bipartisan, “with a handful of Democrats crossing over to vote no, and five Republicans voting yes.”
There are eight men on death row. The state’s last execution was in 2010. There has been a moratorium in place since December 2014, instituted by Gov. Jay Inslee.