Committee to vote on death penalty repeal Friday

A Senate committee is set to vote on a bill to repeal Maryland’s death penalty.

The measure has stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in the last two General Assembly sessions.

It’s bound to be a close vote on Friday. In 2007, the bill failed on a 5-5 vote.

Normally, legislation must receive a majority vote of support by a committee before the full Senate will take it up. But Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who supports the death penalty, has indicated he plans to allow full Senate consideration in some form, regardless of the committee vote.