Kenosha News on Senator Feingold and Maryland's Moratorium on the Death Penalty

May 14, 2002

As we've reported a number of times, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is one of the vocal congressional opponents of the death penalty.

Feingold has called for a national moratorium on executions and formation of a task force to study death penalty sentencing and administration. He has expressed concern because 100 death sentences nationwide have been overturned in the past 30 years because convicts were proved innocent, and because the number of blacks executed is far more than the number of whites.

Last week, Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening placed a moratorium on executions in his state. Guess who Glendending called before announcing his decision?

That's right, Feingold.

"This is not just a Maryland issue," Feingold said. "Problems like troubling racial disparities and the risk of executing the innocent plague the administration of the death penalty. Congress should now follow the lead of Maryland and Illinois and pass our bill."