TALLAHASSEE, Fla-- State Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda of District 9, has filed a “Death Penalty Repealer Bill,” according to a recent post on her facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/ConversationsWithMichelle Vasilinda filed House Bill 4005, which would end the death penalty in Florida. Vasilinda states she is concerned over better and more cost effective ways to prevent and fight crime, especially against children and in our schools.
The recent tragedies of Sandy Hook and Webster, NY have resulted in an urgent cry for improved methods and additional resources to prevent such heinous crimes. The Florida Legislature will be working to find more effective ways to use all our resources to prevent similar crimes.
In the words of Rep. Vasilinda, "the appropriate question for state government is how do we keep people safe from crime in the most cost effective way? When you analyze the numbers, state sponsored execution is not the correct answer,"
Executions are carried out at a cost to taxpayers. In its 2000 report, “The High Price of Killing Killers,” the Palm Beach Post found that Florida spent approximately $51 million each year to enforce the death penalty. Other states and nations have done similar studies. With the money saved by passing HB 4005, Florida could add 450 highly trained and well-equipped law enforcement officers and significantly upgrade the FDLE investigative tools, including utilizing cutting-edge technology to apprehend criminals and prevent further crime. “We could take this money and invest it in law enforcement. In the end, Floridians would see a much greater benefit from having hundreds more police officers and detectives on the street, armed with the very best equipment,” said Rehwinkel Vasilinda.
According to Rep. Rehwinkel Vasilinda, "for many Floridians across the state there are additional and important reasons for repealing the death penalty. The one reason that transcends to all Floridians and is the appropriate purview of legislation is the question of how to keep our citizens truly safe while using taxpayer money in the most effective way to keep them from becoming the victims of crime.”
