NJ Senate passes measure to abolish death penalty

The New Jersey Senate approved a measure abolishing the death penalty Monday, moving the state closer to being the first to do so since the U.S. Supreme Court re-allowed it in 1976.
Additionally, an Assembly committee heard hours of testimony Monday on both sides of the issue and will vote on whether to pass the measure.
If both the committee and the Senate pass it, only a vote in the full Assembly will be left. The full assembly could vote as early as Thursday. Gov. Jon Corzine has already said he'd sign the bill. The measure would replace the death sentence with life without parole. New Jersey has eight men on death row and hasn't executed anyone since January 1963.
AP wire reports contributed to this article.
Related Information:Vote could end death penalty in New JerseySenatecommittee OKs abolishing death penalty