No death penalty for Jersey
New Jersey has become the first state to abolish the death penalty since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the punishment in 1976. The state’s legislature voted to replace capital punishment with life in prison without parole in early December, after a state commission released a report saying the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent.
“Today, New Jersey evolves,” Gov. Jon Corzine said after signing the bill into law. Some murder victim families told the media they would actively campaign to oust Corzine and other politicians who supported the ban.
Green card, please
California cities and counties can no longer require landlords to verify the immigration status of tenants. Assemblyman Charles Calderon, writer of the bill that was signed into law in October, said such ordinances exceed local governments’ authority. “Only the federal government can determine the legal status of any citizen,” he said in a statement.
