Examining the examining of Ohio’s death penalty

As detailed here,  an unexpected coalition of Republicans and Democrats joined together in the Ohio House last week to approve a bill requiring an in-depth study Ohio’s capital punishment system.  In today’s Akron Beacon Journal, this thoughtful article explores various explanations for this unexpected development and suggests it “reflected both a national debate over moral values as well as old-fashioned legislative maneuvering.”

I have not heard any additional word about the likelihood of this bill being passed by the Ohio Senate, but I hope the good idea of an Ohio death penalty study does not just fade away.  As detailed in this recent government report on the state of capital punishment in the United States (discussed previously here), Ohio is number two behind only Texas in the number of executions in 2004, and Ohio’s death row is the fifth largest in the nation.  Taking a closer look at Ohio’s capital laws and practices seems quite sensible as the state continues to make the death penalty an integral component of its criminal justice strategies.