Voted to Remove Death Penalty for Murderers with Mental Illness

HB 727
"Relating to the applicability of the death penalty to a capital offense committed by a person with severe mental illness."

From the bill analysis: "H.B. 727 seeks to create protections for defendants with severe mental illness in capital cases from being sentenced to death and sets out a process for courts to assess whether a defendant had a severe mental illness at the time of the capital offense."

So if a liberal psychologist offered a diagnosis of schizophrenia to a murderer, the option for a death penalty would be removed.

During vigorous debate of the bill, one member argued against it, saying, "Does it concern you that, with the passage of this bill, it makes it possible for someone who commits the heinous acts that Jeffrey Dahmer did, [who was diagnosed with schizophrenia] it would make it to where they would not be subject to the death penalty? It just takes it off the table completely. Does that concern you?"

View Detail from Journal

There were two key votes on this bill. A Yea vote for either one allowed this bill to move forward.

RV#68 Yeas 84 (R 20, D 64) Nays 61 (R 61, D 0) View in House Legislative Journal Yea - Allen; Anchía; Bailes; Bernal; Bhojani; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Burrows; Button; Campos; Canales; Cole; Collier; Cortez; Darby; Davis; Dutton; Flores; Gamez; Garcia; Gates; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Goldman; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Hernandez; Herrero; Hinojosa; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Jetton; Johnson, A.; Johnson, J. D.; Johnson, J. E.; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; King, K.; King, T.; Klick; Kuempel; Lalani; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, R.; Lozano; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Muñoz; Neave Criado; Ordaz; Ortega; Perez; Plesa; Ramos; Raney; Raymond; Reynolds; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Sherman; Talarico; Thierry; Thompson, S.; Troxclair; Turner; Vo; Walle; Wu; Zwiener

Nay - Allison; Anderson; Ashby; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bonnen; Bumgarner; Burns; Capriglione; Clardy; Cook; Craddick; Cunningham; DeAyala; Dorazio; Frank; Frazier; Gerdes; Harless; Harris, C. E.; Harris, C. J.; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Holland; Isaac; Kacal; Kitzman; Lambert; Landgraf; Leo-Wilson; Lujan; Metcalf; Morrison; Murr; Noble; Oliverson; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Price; Rogers; Schatzline; Schofield; Shaheen; Shine; Slaton; Slawson; Smith; Smithee; Spiller; Stucky; Swanson; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, E.; Tinderholt; Toth; VanDeaver; Vasut; Wilson

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded. Bailes: "When Record No. 68 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." Kuempel: "When Record No. 68 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no."

RV#96 Yeas 97 (R 33, D 64) Nays 48 (R 48, D 0) View in House Legislative Journal Yea - Allen; Anchía; Bernal; Bhojani; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Burns; Burrows; Button; Cain; Campos; Canales; Cole; Collier; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Darby; Davis; Dutton; Flores; Gamez; Garcia; Gates; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Goldman; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harrison; Hernandez; Herrero; Hinojosa; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Jetton; Johnson, A.; Johnson, J. D.; Johnson, J. E.; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kacal; King, K.; King, T.; Klick; Lalani; Landgraf; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Lozano; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Muñoz; Neave Criado; Oliverson; Ordaz; Ortega; Patterson; Perez; Plesa; Ramos; Raney; Raymond; Reynolds; Rogers; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Sherman; Talarico; Thierry; Thompson, S.; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Vo; Walle; Wu; Zwiener

Nay - Allison; Anderson; Bailes; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bonnen; Capriglione; Clardy; Cook; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Frank; Frazier; Gerdes; Harless; Harris, C. E.; Hayes; Hefner; Holland; Isaac; Kuempel; Lambert; Leo-Wilson; Lujan; Metcalf; Morrison; Murr; Noble; Orr; Paul; Price; Schaefer; Shaheen; Shine; Slaton; Slawson; Smith; Smithee; Spiller; Stucky; Swanson; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, E.; Tinderholt; Toth; Wilson

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded. Lambert: "When Record No. 96 was taken, I was shown voting no. I intended to vote yes." Schatzline: "When Record No. 96 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no."

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