As society continues to march forward, it is vital that we relegate capital punishment to the dustbin of history. Putting murderers to death is an extremely archaic, morally repugnant practice, and to continue to do so should be a grand embarrassment to all involved. HB379, which abolishes the death penalty in Utah, is a long-overdue measure.
There is insufficient evidence to suggest it acts as a deterrent, and the number of innocent people wrongly executed is reason enough for a moratorium. It is also fiscally unsound. Capital cases, according to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, cost Utah taxpayers about $1.6 million more than cases involving a sentence of life without parole. I applaud the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville, House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, and other lawmakers for coming together to eliminate this scourge from our state.
Ryan D. Curtis, Salt Lake City
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