This late afternoon, the State Senate passed Senate Bill 19, the repeal of the death penalty in Delaware and replacing it with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. It was not a straight party line vote, to my surprise.
Voting yes were the following Democratic Senators (8):
Blevins
Peterson
Bushweller
Townsend
Marshall
Sokola
McDowell
Henry
Voting yes were the following Republican Senators (3):
Simpson
Cloutier
Lopez
Voting no were the following Republican Senators (5):
Hocker
Bonini
Lavelle
Pettyjohn
Lawson
Voting no were the following Democratic Senators (5):
Poore
Ennis
Hall-Long
McBride
Venables
I am surprised by Senator Ernie Lopez and I wonder if he will suffer any consequences downstate in Sussex County. I suppose he fell back on his Catholic upbringing, and that is good. I am just surprised he had the courage to stand up for his beliefs and stare down the Teabaggers in his district.
Cathy Cloutier’s vote does not surprise me at all. It will give her “centrist cred” in her Democratic district upstate.
I am disappointed by Senator Nicole Poore. She earned the Progressive endorsement this past election and I will be curious to hear her explanation. Senators Ennis and Venables are not surprises, but I guess, the votes of Senators Hall-Long and McBride are somewhat surprising.
Your thoughts are welcome, about the Senate votes and about how various Representatives in the House will vote, now that it is clear that this issue, unlike all the rest, is not a clear cut partisan one.