April 13, 2021 | On Apr. 13, the Nevada State Assembly passed its first-ever retroactive death penalty abolition bill, which would commute the sentences of those on the state's death row to life without the possibility of parole in addition to removing capital punishment as a viable sentencing option.
The final vote was 26-16. The bill will be now considered by the state Senate.
TAKE ACTION: Catholic Nevadans are encouraged to contact their state senators and Governor Sisolak to urge them to support AB 395.
Comprised of 70 individuals, Nevada’s death row stands as the second highest death row population per capita in the United States. Forty percent of those on the state's death row are Black, despite Black persons making up around 10% of the state's total population. Every person on the row was unable to afford the cost of their own defense.
READ MORE: "The Death Penalty is Lynching's Stepchild" via The Nevada Independent
Today marks the first time the #Nevada Assembly has successfully passed a retroactive death penalty abolition bill. The tide is turning... Thanks be to God! #HopeOverDeath
— Catholic Mobilizing Network (@CMNEndtheDP) April 13, 2021
— Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty (@nvcadp) April 13, 2021