Montana senate votes to repeal death penalty

As detailed in this AP article, “The Democratic-controlled Senate on Friday gave preliminary approval to abolishing the death penalty in Montana.”  Here are more details:

After a lengthy debate in which lawmakers quoted Jesus, Thomas Jefferson and Ted Bundy, the Senate voted 27-22 to approve the measure…  The measure still faces a final Senate vote, before going to the Republican-controlled House.

Efforts to abolish the death penalty have failed in each of the past three legislative sessions. There are currently two prisoners on death row in Montana, and the state has executed three people since the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s. The most recent execution, of convicted murderer David Dawson, occurred just last year.