Baton Rouge senator files bill to abolish death penalty

BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge senator has proposed a bill which would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana.

Senate Bill 112, by Senator Dan Claitor, wants abolish the death penalty as a punishment for any offenses committed on or after January 1, 2020. If the bill is passed by the legislature and is signed by the Gov. John Bel Edwards, then Louisiana residents would vote to approve or deny keeping the death penalty on the November 19, 2019 ballot.

An organization, the Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, released the following statement.

The leadership of conservative state legislators wanting to end the death penalty, like Sen. Claitor, reflects the trend we are seeing across the country. Louisiana is the latest sign that the death penalty is on its way out and that conservatives are leading the way.

Click here for more information on the bill.