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Governor questions two-year death-penalty moratorium proposal, cites past reviews
Summary
Responding to a reporter, the governor said he was skeptical of a Senate bill proposing a two-year moratorium on the death penalty, saying the state has studied the issue before and that he views the death penalty as applicable to the most heinous crimes.
When asked about a Senate Judiciary Committee bill that would impose a two-year moratorium on executions to allow a task force to review procedures, the governor said he had not reviewed the specific bill language and expressed skepticism about delaying executions.
“Governor Fallin had stopped the death penalty for, I don't know, four or five years before I got here,” the governor said, noting previous study of the state’s capital punishment process. “These are only for the worst of the worst, the most heinous of crimes. And if a jury has recommended the death penalty, then Oklahoma is gonna execute that law.”
The governor said postponing executions for two years to study the process again “doesn’t sound reasonable to me,” while acknowledging that bill authors may be seeking abolition. He added that if the Legislature passes a bill and the governor signs it, that would be a lawful change.
The governor framed his view as part of his oath to uphold state law and described the death penalty as reserved for “brutal, brutal murderers.” He did not identify specific cases or the bill number and said he had not examined the text of the measure.
