I just received a call from one of my state legislators notifying me with glee that the New Hampshire House has voted to abolish the death penalty.
The bill had been reported out of the Democratic controlled committee with a recommendation to not pass it. This seemed consistent with last year's vote in the House when a similar bill went down to defeat by 12 votes.
Also, Democratic Governor John Lynch has opposed eliminating the death penalty, and it's expected that he'll follow former Governor and now Senator Jeanne Shaheen who vetoed similar legislation when she was governor.
A link to a brief AP story filed less than a half-hour ago.
The bill will now move to the NH Senate where Democrats hold a 14 to 9 majority, with one seat vacant. The House vote of 193 to 174 would not be sufficient to override the governor's veto. However, if the Senate approves the legislation, Governor Lynch will be hard pressed to not allow it to pass into law.
In other legislative news from New Hampshire, the House is expected to vote later today or early tomorrow on a bill legalizing gay marriage, and on another that would extend civil rights protections to the transgendered population.
Also on the agenda is a bill that would legalize medical marijuana.
All three bills stand an excellent chance of passage.
Update: New Hampshire residents should contact Governor Lynch's office to let him know they support this vital legislation. You can send an email through this link.
Update 2: The New Hampshire Union Leader is reporting that Lynch vows to veto the legislation:
"I do believe there are some crimes so heinous that capital punishment is warranted, and if a bill to repeal capital punishment reaches my desk I will veto that bill," he said minutes after the House action.
It really is essential that NH residents contact the governor. We don't need a replay of the Shaheen veto.