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“I was glad to see the House Judiciary Committee take testimony today on Rep. Reuven Carlyle’s bill to repeal Washington state’s death penalty law. Capital punishment is a complex and emotional issue with very strong feelings on both sides and it’s important to have civil discussions like we saw today.
“I fully support the bipartisan bills introduced this year to end the death penalty. I put a moratorium on the use of capital punishment last year because of its unequal application in our state, the soaring costs and delays, and the fact that nearly 80 percent of the death sentences issued in our state since 1981 have been overturned.
“I look forward to further discussion with lawmakers about this.”