http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3134642
April 14, 2005, 1:21PM
Texas Senate approves life-without-parole option
Associated Press
RESOURCES
• Complete coverage: See more stories and resources on the 79th Texas Legislature from the Houston Chronicle.
AUSTIN — The Senate approved today a bill that would give juries the power to sentence capital murderers to life in prison without parole.
The bill, approved on a 25-6 vote, also takes away a jury's option to sentence the convict to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
Under current law, Texas juries that find a guilty a verdict in a capital murder case can decide whether the defendant receives the death penalty or a life term with the possibility for parole.
Under the bill, the two options would be execution by lethal injection or life in prison without parole.
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, has pushed for the life without parole option for several years but has fallen short because he wanted to make that a third option.
Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, offered the amendment to give juries the two choices: death or life without parole and Lucio agreed to accept it.
"I hope that justice does come in our capital murder cases in our great state," Lucio said.
The life without parole bill is SB 60.
Much better than the current option, though it might weaken the case for the death penalty. We have too many empty jail cells; we even rent them out to the Feds and other states.
I excerpted the article because it came from The Associated Press. I think any AP article must be excerpted.