Death Penalty Bills Still Waiting for Action in Dover

Legislation to revise Delaware’s death penalty statute to ensure compliance with the US Constitution has been awaiting consideration in the Senate Judiciary committee for over a year. This measure, Senate Bill 118, was sponsored by 16^th District Senator Eric Buckson (R). Earlier this week the Delaware Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty held a rally at Leg Hall in support of two other measures – House Bill 70 and House Bill 301 – both sponsored by District 3 Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker (D) – which seek to eliminate the death penalty in Delaware.

House Bill 70, which was introduced in January of 2023, would eliminate the death penalty in Delaware. And House Bill 301, introduced February 29^th, is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty. Both House bills were voted out of committee on March 20^th and have been placed on the Ready List.