Former Governors Push Ballot Measure

Three former California Governors are pushing a ballot measure that would speed up the state’s death penalty process.

The measure has the backing of George Deukmejian, Gray Davis and Pete Wilson. The Associated Press reports that the former Governor’s will be part of a joint announcement later today. Back in 2012, California voters denied a ballot measure that would have repealed the death penalty. However, California has not carried out a death sentence since 2006 because of lawsuits in state and federal courts. The complaints center around the lethal injection method the state uses to carry out capital punishment. California has over 700 prisoners on death row.
The ballot measure would create a constitutional amendment that creates a five-year deadline for hearing death row appeals. It would also remove the threat of sanctions on doctors that advise the state on lethal injection procedures.