A bill that would abolish the death penalty in Pennsylvania has made its way out of committee and is headed to the State House Floor for a vote.
House Bill 999, authored by Democratic State Representative Chris Rabb, was approved by a mostly-party line vote in the State House Judiciary Committee yesterday. The bill effectively abolishes the use of the death penalty within the state and formally end the practice. The death penalty was put on an indefinite suspension by former Governor Tom Wolf back in 2015. Earlier this year, current Governor Josh Shapiro said that he would not issue any execution warrants during his term of office and called on state legislators to abolish the death penalty.
The last person to be executed in Pennsylvania was back in 1999, when Gary M. Heidnik was given two death sentences for the murder of two women he imprisoned in his home.
No word on when this will be put on the schedule for the State House to consider.
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