Face The State Staff Opinion
Whoever thought Gov. Bill Ritter would have a reason to thank Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry?
PenryFTS File Photo
During his time as Denver’s district attorney, Ritter unsuccessfully pursued the death penalty seven times. As debate in the legislature raged over House Bill 1274, a proposal that would have ended capitol punishment in Colorado, using the savings to investigate cold cases, Ritter became increasingly quiet and neutral on the issue.
In his first comments on the bill, Ritter told The Denver Post: "Those are two separate issues, and I told the sponsor of the bill they were wrong to do that. You don't get a pure debate about either."
It was clear Ritter did not want to be faced with signing or vetoing a bill that would eliminate the death penalty, a divisive issue even within his own party. In contrast, Penry, a Grand Junction Republican, was not confused about his feelings. He supports the death penalty and began preparing early on for a nail biting fight over HB 1274, which he saw pass by a single vote in the House last month.
Penry’s strategy involved finding alternative funding for cold case investigations, while leaving the death penalty intact. Key supporters included Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, who is a former law enforcement officer and a leading proponent of more money for cold cases.
On Monday, a last minute deal allowed for the death penalty to be stripped out of the bill, while a $2.50 arrest fee was amended in to create a dedicated funding stream for cold case investigations. Penry hoped the compromise would be enough to garner support from some of his Democrat colleagues, who were reluctant to take a position on the death penalty but were still passionate about funding homicide investigations.
“Fundamentally the death penalty is a critical tool, and this was a way to save cold case funding,” Penry told Face The State.
The plan worked and the bill passed out of the Senate Monday. By Wednesday morning, however, a conference committee had restored the bill to include the death penalty and sent it back to the Senate forcing another vote.
“Counting votes is more art than science,” Penry said.
When the final Senate vote came down, four Democrats, Sens. Mary Hodge of Brighton, Jim Isgar of Hesperus, Lois Tochtrop of Thornton, and Morse sided with Republicans to defeat the bill. In the end, Penry said Republicans only lost the support of Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne.
“For most of the Democrats, this has always been about doing away with the death penalty,” Penry added. “The cold case aspect to all this was nothing more than a ploy.”
The state should always have
On July 12th, 2009 horkanusone says:
The state should always have the death penalty as an option but is should use it only in extreme cases that happened for time to time unfortunately casino online
death penalty
On May 11th, 2009 arvada says:
We should not be surprised that Colorado still has a death penalty. We see in the news every day that some people like to kill other people. Elected state officials are no different, and they are not prosecuted for their vote.
Death penalty
On May 9th, 2009 I.M._Pist says:
You can argue the moral and legal issues until you're blue in the face, but the fact remains, this is a punishment Colorado has used only once in 40 years. In the meantime, we waste $4 million a year to prosecute and retry capitol murder cases, segregate all of 2 criminals on 'death row' to 'protect' them from the general prison population, as well as lavish them with notoriety. This isn't 'our tax dollars at work', this is our tax dollars being wasted. The only good this does is show the voters which politicians need to be sent home. This is just another prime example of the Democrats inability to pass a law they claim to be passionate about, even when thay have a majority. 'Change I can believe in'? Hardly.
>>Why should they get life
On May 8th, 2009 PhilipTobias says:
>>Why should they get life in prison, that cost much more of the taxpayers money.
Actually it is MUCH less expensive to conduct a non-capital trial, and then imprison people for life. The difference in cost is immense - that is partially where the cost savings would come from to fund a cold case unit.
Yes, killing is ALWAYS wrong. That is why the government should not be involved in it either.
Best regards. ...pt
Way to go Penry!
On May 8th, 2009 qltyzs says:
I applaud you for standing up for what you believe in. In my opinion the death penalty is used too infrequently. These criminals who get away with murdering so many people, including children and those who molest need to be brought to justice. Victims deserve justice and I'm glad we are keeping the death penalty. Why should they get life in prison, that cost much more of the taxpayers money.
Penry Wrong - Again
On May 8th, 2009 PhilipTobias says:
As on many other issues, Senator Penry is wrong. Again.
Contrary to Penry's misinformed assertion that “The cold case aspect to all this was nothing more than a ploy," that is not true.
The cold case "aspect" is simply the coming together of a broad coalition who now realize that the death penalty is a failed public policy.
In this day and age, this penalty is not only barbaric, it is a huge waste of the taxpayers' money.
Unlike Penry, the murder victims' families realized this truth. That is why they saw the repeal of the death penalty as an opportunity to better spend the money - by apprehending more criminals and getting them off the street.
But backwards attitudes like Penry's postponed this sensible solution. Voters should take note of that.