A Baton Rouge lawmaker thinks he can drum up enough support during the legislative session to stop handing out death sentences to convicted murderers and rapists in Louisiana.

Republican Senator Dan Claitor expects to receive a lot of support for this bill, because of the costs surrounding the prosecution of such cases.

Claitor says the death penalty cheapens life, which degrades society. He says his Catholic religion teaches everyone’s life is sacred from conception to natural death.

“Many victims say that their faith would not allow for them to support the death penalty even though they have been a victim and their family member has been a victim.”

Currently, Louisiana does not have the drugs needed to perform a lethal injection. Claitor says locking up offenders for the rest of their life is a better punishment than the death penalty.

He says if the bill passes, it would not affect inmates on death row right now.
Claitor’s proposal will be debated during the session which begins on April 10th.

 

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