Connecticut Becomes 17th State to Abolish the Death Penalty

The Los Angeles Times reports that the vote was 86-62. And here's Governor Malloy's "I'm not soft on crime" reaction to the vote:

Malloy praised the vote, which came at 10:57 p.m., saying it would let the state "throw away the key" and put away the worst criminals for life. "For decades we have not had a workable death penalty,'' Malloy said in a statement. "Going forward, we will have a system that allows us to put these people away for life, in living conditions none of us would want to experience."

As in California, the safety net for abolition coalitions is life without parole. SAFE California, whose proposition advocates life without parole, relies on a coalition with victims and law enforcement officials who would not be on board with a movement to abolish life without parole as well.