CrimLaw

Death - Minnesota:

Stung by the reaction to his proposal to pass legislation allowing the reinstatement of the death penalty, the Governor backed down some on what he was requesting:

The death penalty proposal Gov. Tim Pawlenty will pursue next year would allow executions only in cases of murder - not attempted murder as he earlier suggested.

He addressed racial concerns:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he would draft a capital punishment law that avoids the racial disparities other states have experienced in the application of the death penalty.

"When we put together a death penalty proposal, it will be cautious compared to other states," Pawlenty told reporters after his speech.

A newspaper editorial reacts negatively here and citizens react in much the same fashion here.