CONCORD, NH — The death penalty has been repealed in the state of New Hampshire. The state Senate on Thursday followed the House of Representatives by overriding Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto of a repeal bill. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats.
In a statement, Sununu said he was disappointed with the veto votes.
“I have consistently stood with law enforcement, families of crime victims, and advocates for justice in opposing a repeal of the death penalty because it is the right thing to do,” he said. “I am incredibly disappointed that the Senate chose to override my veto.”
The vote in the Senate was 16-8, meaning a handful of Republicans joined the majority party in overriding the governor’s veto of the repeal bill (HB 466).
Sununu, when signing the veto, noted that state has rarely used the death penalty as a means of issuing punishment. The only prisoner currently on death row is cop-killer Michael Addison. Addison was convicted in 2006 of killing Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs, an officer from Epsom who also lived in Concord.
People convicted in the state of New Hampshire will now receive a maximum sentence of life without parole. The Granite State joined 20 other states in abolishing the death penalty.
Anti-Death Penalty Advocates Congratulate NH
A number of advocates of the repeal of the death penalty in the state celebrated the override on Thursday.
Peter Libasci, the bishop of Manchester, thanked representatives and offered his “deep appreciation and sincere empathy to the members of the Legislature for their deliberate and often very difficult process of debate and decision-making that is so much a part of their office and was especially so in this most serious matter.”
The group Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty heralded the override, according Hannah Cox, national manager of the organization.
“Ending New Hampshire’s death penalty would not have been possible without significant Republican support,” she noted. “Increasing numbers of GOP state lawmakers believe capital punishment does not align with their conservative values of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and valuing life. The state of New Hampshire will be much better off because of it.”
Shari Silberstein, executive director of Equal Justice USA, also commended New Hampshire’s representatives for making history.
“(They) deserve the highest praise for recognizing the injustice of a deeply broken system and coming together across party lines to move the state forward,” she said. “I believe more states across the nation, inspired by what New Hampshire accomplished, will recognize that the death penalty cannot exist in a society that aspires to true justice.”
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