Louisiana death penalty debate returns as lawmaker seeks to end executions

Louisiana state Rep. Kyle Green said he felt compelled to bring a bill to abolish the state's death penalty despite admittedly long odds.

"It's important enough to continue to bring this debate every year until we can convince our colleagues that this is not the best version of who we are," said Green, a Democrat from Marrero whose measure is House Bill 262.

"This state time and time again has affirmed the sanctity of life," said Green, referring to Louisiana as one of the most restrictive abortion rights states in the nation. "For me as a Christian, I can't sit back and not try to repeal this abhorrent institution."

Louisiana is one of 27 states where the death penalty still exists, though it's been 13 years since a prisoner was executed.

The state last carried out an execution on January 7, 2010, putting Gerald Bordelon to death by lethal injection after he waved his appeals. His execution was the 28th in Louisiana in the modern era of the death penalty.

Since then corrections officials have said they've been unable to secure the drugs necessary to carry them out.

Despite the lack of executions, the state spent more than $7 million last year defending those on death row, according to recent reporting by Louisiana Illuminator.

Sister Helen Prejean, whose decades-long crusade to abolish the death penalty was most famously illustrated in her best-selling book "Dead Man Walking," has been among those crusading against the death penalty.

Prejean and other mostly Catholic faith leaders and students gathered at the Louisiana Capitol last year to support failed efforts by Democratic Monroe Sen. Katrina Jackson and Green to abolish the state's death penalty.

Prejean, 83, has witnessed four executions as the spiritual adviser of those who were put to death.

"In our Catholic faith we are pro-life not just for innocents but for the guilty," she said. "We need to be a real pro-life state. No matter how grave the crime we can't entrust the government with the ability to take lives."

Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca called the death penalty "an assault against the dignity of life" that denies those convicted of the most heinous crimes the opportunity to repent. "All it does is demean us," he said.

But there are others of the Christian faith who argue scripture supports the death penalty. That was the case in 2019 when the Rev. Will Hall, a Baptist minister, said: "There are times when this punishment is appropriate."

More: Louisiana lawmaker seeks to shield children from TikTok, social media

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards for the first time in his eight-year tenure said he supports abolishing the death penalty, but Green's bill has a long way to go before it could reach Edwards' desk.

Only once, in 2019, has a bill to abolish the death penalty even made it out of a House or Senate committee for full debate in either chamber. Even then, former Democratic state Rep. Terry Landry shelved the bill when it became clear he didn't have the votes in the House.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lawmaker seeks to abolish death penalty in Louisiana, end executions