O'Malley: Death Penalty Repeal Is Within 2 Votes
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Gov. Martin O'Malley says he's confident the state Senate is within two votes of supporting a repeal of capital punishment in Maryland.
O'Malley spoke to reporters on Tuesday after a lunch with Maryland Democrats.
The Democratic governor, who supports repeal of the death penalty, says he thinks it's "very possible" that there are two more senators who would vote to repeal capital punishment this year.
The state's legislative session begins on Wednesday.
O'Malley also says transportation funding, gun control and job creation will be highlighted topics in the session.
The governor pushed to repeal the death penalty in 2009. Full repeal stalled in the Senate, which opted to restrict its use to murder cases with biological evidence such as DNA, videotaped evidence of a murder or a videotaped confession.
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