Washington State Governor Jay Inslee
Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday he was suspending the use of the death penalty in Washington state for as long as he's in office, announcing a move that he hopes will enable officials to "join a growing national conversation about capital punishment."
The first-term Democrat said he came to the decision after months of review, meetings with victims' families, prosecutors and law enforcement.
"There have been too many doubts raised about capital punishment, there are too many flaws in this system today," Inslee said at a news conference. "There is too much at stake to accept an imperfect system."
Last year, Maryland abolished the death penalty, the 18th state to do so and the sixth in the last six years. In Washington state, legislative efforts to abolish the death penalty have received public hearings in recent years, but they've never gained political traction. Inslee said he would support a permanent ban from lawmakers.
Washington state hasn't executed an inmate in more than three years. There have been seven inmates executed this year in the U.S., according to the Washington D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center.
Richard Dieter, the center's executive director, said recent state moves away from the death penalty, including Inslee's action, show that support for capital punishment is waning. "The death penalty is being used less," he said.