A bill to reinstate the death penalty in Minnesota has been introduced in the state House, but even its author, state Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, a Republican from Glencoe, realizes it won't last long this session.
WDIO-TV in Duluth reports that Gruenhagen knows the bill is in its early stages but claims it's a serious proposal.
He'd like to see the death penalty reinstated for crimes like murdering a peace officer or children under 6, or murder while committing crimes of violence. He says modern DNA technology and forensic research is so advanced, that there's little chance of executing an innocent person.
Other legislators are not rallying around the bill, the story says.
Since its repeal in 1911, efforts to restore the death penality in Minnesota have been short-lived, according to the Minnesota House of Representative website.