Governor Vetoes Bill to Abolish Death Penalty

Governor Jodi Rell has vetoed legislation that would have abolished the death penalty. The governor says the state cannot tolerate people who commit the most violent of murders.

Supporters in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly do not have the necessary two-thirds majority of votes to override her veto. HB 6578, which would have replaced capital punishment with life in prison, passed 19-17 in the Senate and 90-56 in the House last month.

Connecticut has 10 death row inmates. It has executed one inmate since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate capital punishment in 1976.

Connecticut Catholic Bishops Fight Death Penalty

Connecticut's House and Senate have voted to repeal capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without the possibility of release. This bill will soon go to Governor Jodi Rell, who has promised to veto the legislation. The six Catholic bishops of Connecticut have urged the Governor to reconsider her decision in this letter posted on the Catholic Conference of Connecticut's website. The Conference is asking you to urge the Governor to sign H.B. 6578.

House Votes to Abolish the Death Penalty

The Connecticut State House has voted to abolish the death penalty. After a five-hour-long debate the House voted 90-56 to punish capital crimes with life sentences without the possibility of release.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its chances for passage are considered questionable. If the Senate passes the bill, it is not likely to become law because Governor Jodi Rell continues to support capital punishment. The governor reiterated her position earlier this week. The winning margin in the House fell short of the 101 votes that would be needed to override a Rell veto.

SB 899 Passes - Voter Reaction

SB 899, the same-sex marriage codification bill, has passed through both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but not without a strong amendment protecting religious freedom. The amendment allows church organizations to opt out of the requirements of the law, meaning priests will not have to wed gay couples, nor will organizations such as the Knights of Columbus have to rent their halls for that purpose. Archbishop Henry Mansell personally thanked Catholics across Connecticut, saying that constituent phone calls and emails to representatives resulted in the amendment. He spoke on WJMJ.






Governor Jodi Rell says she will sign the bill when it reaches her desk. It then goes into effect in October of 2010. Crossroads Magazine asked voters, senators and lobbyists what they thought of the law, and what it means for residents. Click here to hear the full story.