Death penalty bill resuscitated

Posted April 1, 2007
Madison Weekly

Death penalty bill resuscitated

An effort to reinstate the death penalty by permitting executions by lethal injection is being led by two Northeastern Wisconsin legislators.

Sen. Alan Lasee, R-Rockland, and Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, are joined by five other Republican lawmakers in sponsoring a bill that would target criminals convicted of "vicious" murders.

Lasee led the effort to get the death penalty advisory referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot. It passed by 56 percent of the vote. The senator is running for Brown County executive.

The bill would reinstate the death penalty in Wisconsin after being outlawed for more than 150 years. It is opposed by Democrats, who control the Senate, and by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.