Proposal to bring death penalty back to New Mexico stalls

A proposal to bring back the death penalty in New Mexico for those convicted of certain violent crimes has stalled.

The Albuquerque Journal reports legislation by Republican Rep. Monica Youngblood of Albuquerque was tabled Sunday on a party-line 3-2 vote in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

Lawmakers abolished the death penalty in 2009 and replaced with life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Similar legislation to reinstate the death penalty was approved five months by the state House, but that proposal was never acted on by the Senate.

There appeared to be little appetite for bringing back the death penalty after Democrats reclaimed a majority in the House in November’s general election.

ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom obtained a message from the Office of Governor Susana Martinez:

“Once again, the Legislature failed to act to protect our communities. As a career prosecutor, the Governor knows first hand the importance of doing everything we can to crack down on violent criminals – like giving our three-strikes law teeth to get repeat offenders off the streets; reinstating the death penalty for those who kill children, law enforcement or corrections officers; and if you intentionally abuse a child and that child dies, you should NEVER get out of prison.”