Ortt, NY Republican leaders want death penalty for those who commit mass murder

Posted 16 May 2022 at 6:07 pm

Press Release, NY Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assembly Republican Leader Will A. Barclay today introduced legislation that would bring capital punishment back to New York State in the wake of this weekend’s tragic mass shooting in Buffalo.

The bill would reinstate capital punishment in cases of mass murder, fatal hate crimes, and acts of terrorism, among other acts of extreme violence.

“Some crimes are truly unforgivable,” Ortt said. “This past weekend in Buffalo, a crime of unforgivable magnitude occurred when a hate-filled terrorist took the lives of ten innocent people in cold blood. We are heartbroken. We are also outraged.

“Now it is clear that New York must send a message to those who would deliberately target our neighbors based on the color of their skin. We do not tolerate racism. We do not tolerate terrorism. We do not tolerate acts of extreme violence on innocent civilians. We must bring capital punishment back to our state today, and deliver the only justice that is appropriate in this case and to ensure acts such as these never happen again.”

The bill, sponsored by Republican leaders in both houses of the New York State Legislature, would reinstate capital punishment in cases of: