Wyoming Republican Rep. Jared Olsen says he’s continuing to work on plans to repeal Wyoming’s death penalty in the 2020 Legislature.
This past session, a death penalty repeal bill sponsored by Olsen passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate.
Olsen told the Casper Star-Tribune, that he will be doing, “all he can to ensure 2020 will be the year” that Wyoming repeals the penalty.
His plans will include an effort this month with ACLU of Wyoming Director Sabrina King. They’ll kick off a statewide education campaign for ending the death penalty.
Olsen and Republican supporters of the repeal claim the elimination of the death penalty will save taxpayers money during trials in which the penalty is in question. Repeal opponents argue the death penalty is in place to deter serious crimes from occurring.
The penalty has not been used since 1992 and there are currently not any inmates on death row.