The state senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill to end Connecticut’s death penalty.
Faith leaders, led by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, walked through the streets of Hartford on Tuesday in support of the measure. Standing outside the Capitol, Bishop James Curry said he hoped legislators would listen to what clergy had to say. "There are people of faith who really seek to raise the value in our society that we need not take a person’s life as we seek appropriate punishment for the most heinous crimes that happen among us. And this isn’t a political rally. It was a time of prayer."
The proposed bill would abolish capital punishment in Connecticut and make the maximum sentence life in prison without parole.
If the Senate votes in favor of the bill, it would move to the House where it is expected to pass.
Governor Malloy has pledged he’d sign a death penalty repeal into law as long as it is prospective, meaning it affects only future cases and not inmates currently on death row.
But those who support the death penalty argue that if the bill passes, it could be used to pursue appeals for those on death row.
