Senators Steve Huffman, Nickie Antonio Introduce Bill Ending Capital Punishment in Ohio

COLUMBUS—State Senators Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) today introduced plans for a bill that will end the death penalty in Ohio. "My strong Catholic faith, combined with thirty years as a practicing emergency room physician, drives my belief that life should be valued. One wrongful conviction is one too many," said Senator Huffman. "The pain suffered by the families who have lost loved ones to violent crime is real, as they look for closure delivered by our justice system. Life in prison is a terminal sentence. It provides a definitive answer with the assurance that a person convicted of the most heinous capital case will spend the rest of their natural life behind bars, and die in prison." The Governor’s office has made it clear that recent changes in protocols from pharmaceutical companies have made it impossible to secure the drugs used for lethal injection. It is within the legislature's authority to determine the best next steps to address the issues within Ohio's Criminal Code regarding the death penalty. From conviction to execution, the appeals process takes decades, and costs millions of dollars at the taxpayers expense. There are currently 136 inmates on Ohio’s death row. “It is time for the State of Ohio to take the compassionate, pragmatic, and economically prudent step to abolish the death penalty," said Senator Antonio. "In the ten years that I have worked on this issue, I am pleased to announce that we are working with the strongest bipartisan team of members ever in the history of legislative offerings to abolish the death penalty in our state.” To watch today's press conference click here.