Page 3 - aruba-today-20210204

A3
U.S. NEWS Thursday 4 February 2021
Virginia Senate passes death penalty abolition bill

By SARAH RANKIN ablaze in 2006. Teleguz had
Associated Press his sentence commuted to
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The life without parole in 2017;
Virginia Senate passed a Gray was executed the
bill Wednesday that would same year.
abolish the death penalty, “These are savage crimes.
a measure that if passed These are the worst of the
into law would mark a ma- worst,” he said.
jor policy change for a state Democrat Janet How-
that over its centuries-long ell said she used to be a
history has led the nation in “fervent” supporter of the
the number of executions it death penalty, a position
has carried out. that changed after the
The Democrat-controlled murder of her father-in-law.
chamber approved the She described in emotional
bill in a 21-17 vote that split testimony how his killing af-
along party lines and was fected her family and how
seen as a key hurdle for the they found themselves in
measure. Advocates now disagreement over the
expect the House version death penalty and the
of the bill to easily clear punishment her father-in-
that chamber, and Demo- law’s killer should face.
cratic Gov. Ralph Northam “I don’t buy the idea that
has said he supports the we would support the
legislation. death penalty for the ben-
Wednesday’s vote fol- efit of victims’ families. It
lowed a lengthy, emotional doesn’t work that way. Trust
floor debate. me, it doesn’t work that
“I cannot think of anything State Sen. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, speaks with Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, as way,” she said.
that is more awful, unspeak- Senate Bill 1165, relating to abolishing the death penalty, was being discussed as the Senate Virginia has executed near-
able and wrong for a gov- meets at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Richmond, Va. ly 1,400 people in more
Associated Press
ernment to do than to use than four centuries, more
its power to execute some- Republicans urged a “no” that he said would have the “misapplications of than any other state, ac-
body who didn’t commit vote on the bill, saying it guaranteed that people capital punishment of de- cording to the Death Pen-
the crime they’re accused wouldn’t give victims’ fami- convicted of aggravated cades and centuries past” alty Information Center. In
of. The problem with capi- lies a chance at justice and murder would never leave but said that should not be modern times, Virginia is
tal punishment is that once voicing concerns that peo- prison. a reason to do away with second only to Texas in the
it’s inflicted you can’t take ple convicted of heinous “This could have been the punishment entirely. number of executions since
it back, it can’t be correct- murders would be eligible coming out today as a bi- He described the brutal the Supreme Court rein-
ed,” Democratic Sen. Scott for parole. partisan effort to end the crimes committed by two stated the death penalty in
Surovell, the bill’s sponsor, GOP Sen. Bill Stanley, who death penalty. Instead it’s men formerly on death row: 1976.
said as he introduced it. had initially co-patroned a party-line effort,” said Ivan Teleguz, convicted in But executions have slowed
Democrats raised concerns the measure, angrily spoke Stanley, who also spoke 2006 of hiring a man to kill in Virginia in recent years —
about the racial disparities against it after Democrats about his personal opposi- the mother of his child, and the last inmate put to death
in the application of the a day earlier rejected at- tion to the death penalty. Ricky Gray, who was con- was William Morva in 2017
death penalty and pointed tempts from Republicans He ultimately did not vote. victed of killing a family of — and no death sentences
to research that shows it to amend the bill, including Republican Sen. Mark four, slashing their throats have been imposed in the
does not deter crime. changes Stanley proposed Obenshain acknowledged and setting their home state since 2011.q

After delays, construction on Obama library to start in 2021

By SOPHIA TAREEN tionists and protests from said in a video message
Associated Press neighborhood activists release Wednesday. “We
CHICAGO (AP) — Con- who feared the planned know that by working to-
struction of the Obama $500 million center would gether, we can unlock the
Presidential Center in Chi- displace Black residents. South Side’s fullest potential
cago will move forward this Chicago’s City Council has — and help set up our city,
year after a four-year fed- since approved neighbor- our country, and our world
eral review and other de- hood protections, and a for even better years still to
lays, officials said Wednes- four-year federal review come.”
day. Former President process that was needed Obama Foundation offi-
Barack Obama chose a because of its location in cials said the city will begin
South Side lakefront park as Jackson Park — which is pre-construction work in
the site for his presidential on the National Register of April, including the reloca- In this May 3, 2017, file photo, former President Barack Obama
library in 2016, not far from Historic Places — has been tion of utility lines, with ac- speaks at a community event on the Presidential Center at the
South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago.
where he began his politi- completed. “Getting to this tual construction starting as Associated Press
cal career, taught law and point wouldn’t have been early as August.
lived with his family. Howev- possible without the folks in Obama has described the start the economy on the cials estimate the center
er, the planning hit numer- the community who have center as a hub for youth city’s South Side, parts of will help create about 5,000
ous snags due to a legal been a part of this process programming and public which are impoverished. jobs, both during and after
battle with park preserva- along the way,” Obama gatherings that will jump- Obama Foundation offi- construction. q