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The Senate voted 21-16 to approve the bill slated for a Thursday vote by the state Assembly, after the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee voted 5-1 in favor of it today.

The measure would repeal the death penalty and replace it with mandatory life in prison without possibility of parole. If approved by the full Assembly, the bill goes to Gov. Jon Corzine, who has called the change a move in the "right direction." Corzine has until the lame duck legislative session ends on Jan. 8 to sign the bill.

New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982 and has eight men on death row, but hasn't executed anyone since 1963.

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Of course, we babblers know, from our New Jersey ambassador to babble, that NJ is quite civilized.

But as for being the first state in 40 years to eliminate it, I was under the impression that Illinois has eliminated it several years ago, or at least called a major moratorium and that there have been no eecutions since.

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Originally posted by Indiana Jones:
Sadly, the rest of the country and rest of the world seem to be going in just the opposite direction.

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Originally posted by Indiana Jones:
A lot of countries around the world still ahve the death penalty and are using it with alarming regularity.

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Originally posted by Sven:
Yeah, I realize that, but is the rest of the world increasing its use of the death penalty? I would suspect that it's quite the opposite trend.

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That's quite true. Two-thirds of countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, and the number is increasing (Turkey, South Africa, former Eastern Bloc countries, etc.). New Mexico may soon join New Jersey.