WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New Hampshire abolished death penalty, thanks to a coalition of Republican lawmakers who joined with Democrats to override a veto by Republican Governor Chris Sununu. New Hampshire is the 21st U.S. state to do away with capital punishment.
Both houses of the New Hampshire legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill last month to repeal capital punishment in the Granite State.
Earlier this month, Governor Chris Sununu had vetoed the measures.
In the second round of voting, Senate voted 16-8 to repeal capital punishment, which followed a successful House override vote.
'I have consistently stood with law enforcement, families of crime victims, and advocates for justice in opposing a repeal of the death penalty because it is the right thing to do,' Sununu said on Twitter.
'I am incredibly disappointed that the Senate chose to override my veto', he added.
Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, said, 'The death penalty is not right, it is not fair, it is not a deterrent, and now, it is not an option going forward in New Hampshire.
American Civil Liberties Union described it as a tremendous victory for all who have worked for decades to repeal the death penalty in New Hampshire.
Jeanne Hruska, political director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, said the human rights organization is thankful to every Senator and Representative who withstood immense political pressure and came together for this historic success.
New Hampshire has not implemented death penalty in the state since executing a convicted murderer in 1939.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2019 AFX News
