HB 70 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEATH PENALTY.
Last action — Signed by Governor
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 25, 2023. Enacted.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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14 sponsors
14 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (9 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Summary
This Act eliminates the death penalty in Delaware. As such, the penalty for a person who is convicted of first-degree murder for an offense that was committed after the person’s 18th birthday is imprisonment for the remainder of the person’s natural life without benefit of probation or parole or any other reduction.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 14 YES 7 NO
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Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 Favorable
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Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
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Passed By House. Votes: 33 YES 8 NO
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Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 3 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
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Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House
Sponsors
- Russell Huxtable · Primary
- Cyndie Romer · Primary
- David L. Wilson · Primary
- Spiros Mantzavinos · Primary
- Nicole Poore · Primary
- Marie Pinkney · Primary
- Kendra Johnson · Primary
- William Bush · Primary
- Eric Morrison · Primary
- Sean M. Lynn · Primary
- Sherry Dorsey Walker · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
- Sarah McBride · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →14 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 48 not signed on · 13 voted No
Sponsors (14)
- Russell Huxtable Democratic
- Cyndie Romer Democratic
- David L. Wilson Republican Voted No
- Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic
- Nicole Poore Democratic
- Marie Pinkney Democratic
- Kendra Johnson Democratic
- William Bush Democratic
- Eric Morrison Democratic
- Sean M. Lynn Democratic
- Sherry Dorsey Walker
- Paul S. Baumbach
- Sarah McBride
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf Voted No
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (48)
48 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 48 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 67% | 33% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Evans Gay | — | Yea |
| Sarah McBride | — | Yea |
| Bryan Townsend | Democratic | Yea |
| Darius J. Brown | Democratic | Nay |
| David P. Sokola | Democratic | Yea |
| John "Jack" Walsh | Democratic | Yea |
| Kyra L. Hoffner | Democratic | Yea |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | Democratic | Yea |
| Marie Pinkney | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | Democratic | Yea |
| Russell Huxtable | Democratic | Yea |
| S. Elizabeth Lockman | Democratic | Yea |
| Spiros Mantzavinos | Democratic | Yea |
| Stephanie L. Hansen | Democratic | Yea |
| Trey Paradee | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian Pettyjohn | Republican | Nay |
| Bryant L. Richardson | Republican | Nay |
| Dave G. Lawson | Republican | Nay |
| David L. Wilson | Republican | Nay |
| Eric Buckson | Republican | Nay |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 33 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 80% | 20% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (41)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB 70 do?
- This Act eliminates the death penalty in Delaware. As such, the penalty for a person who is convicted of first-degree murder for an offense that was committed after the person’s 18th birthday is imprisonment for the remainder of the person’s natural life without benefit of probation or parole or any other reduction.
- Who sponsors HB 70?
- HB 70 is sponsored by Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Cyndie Romer (Democratic), David L. Wilson (Republican), Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Marie Pinkney (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), William Bush (Democratic), Eric Morrison (Democratic), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Sherry Dorsey Walker, Paul S. Baumbach, Sarah McBride, and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
- What is the current status of HB 70?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 25, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track HB 70?
- Track HB 70 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously
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