California Secretary of State Debra Bowen has certified a measure for the November ballot that would eliminate capital punishment. Instead, prisoners would receive life without the possibility of parole. Jeanne Woodford is a former San Quentin Warden who now heads up the anti-capital punishment group "Death Penalty Focus." She says the initiative would save the state millions of dollars:
Woodford:"We know for example, that death row inmates get special and expensive housing, security and legal services."
Opponents include Republican State Senator Joel Anderson, who has tried unsuccessfully to change the death penalty process - including a bill that would have eliminated expensive, automatic appeals:
Anderson: "To move forward and say that we're going to move these people into life without parole is to ignore what the public has asked for time and time again."
