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Committee Backs Death Penalty Repeal On Revote

Daniel S Hurd via Flickr CC

The 3-2 margin came two days after an initial vote ended in a tie

The revote was requested by  Senator Donna Soucy (D-Manchester).

Soucy's district was where N.H.’s lone death row inmate, Michael Addison, committed the crime that persuaded a jury to sentence him to death -- the 2006 shooting of Manchester police officer Michael Briggs.

Soucy says given that, and the importance of the issue, she didn’t want to give the impression she might have been dodging it.

"Because of a medical issue with my father I was unable to be here during the committee and  wanted my vote recorded, and I will be able to express on the floor all of my reasons for being able to support repeal."

The now 3-2 margin out of committee carries practical implications for this bill when it hits the Senate floor.

The first vote will now be on repealing the death penalty and not killing the bill.

This means the bill could be amended if it fails to win a majority on its first vote.

I cover campaigns, elections, and government for NHPR. Stories that attract me often explore New Hampshire’s highly participatory political culture. I am interested in how ideologies – doctrinal and applied – shape our politics. I like to learn how voters make their decisions and explore how candidates and campaigns work to persuade them.
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