.LATimesSkelton writes: 'The only way Newsom can permanently eliminate capital punishment in California is by persuading voters to amend the state Constitution.'
California voters have been trending toward opposing capital punishment — at least in polls, although not in elections.
Independents — registered as “no party preference” — have passed the GOP at 28.3%. Among them, 56% favor shuttering death row. “The death penalty is a very emotional issue,” PPIC President Mark Baldassare says. “In initiative campaigns, repeal opponents have been able to highlight murder cases that cause people to think twice — terrible cases that are really disturbing.“In 2012 and 2016, Californians who might otherwise have voted for repeal said, ‘You know, maybe I’m not ready to change the law.’ They question their own judgment as to whether they know enough.
“The actual question to be decided is: ‘What penalty do you want for the very worst murders?’ Nobody is seeking a mandatory death penalty for all first-degree murders. That’s been unconstitutional since 1976.”
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