Death Penalty Repeal Unlikely To Pass House

The state legislature's joint committee on criminal justice will send its final report on a death penalty repeal bill to the full House by tomorrow for a possible floor vote.

But despite support from the Dukakis administration and the State's Democratic Party, State Rep. Thomas M. Galilagher (D-Brighton), the bill's sponsor, said last week that the measure has little chance to pass this year.

He added that it would be very unusual to repeal a law within one year of its passage, but that he wants to "keep people thinking about [the death penalty issue]."

The legislature passed a death penalty bill by about a 2-1 margin in November after voters approved a constitutional referendum allowing capital punishment, and Gallagher said that the legislature's battle lines have not really changed. Former Gov. Edward J. King, a strong capital punishment advocate, signed the law shortly before leaving office.

Earlier this month Lt. Gov. John F. Kerry testified before the joint justice committee to register Gov. Michael S. Dukakis's support for a repeal, said Larry Carpman, Kerry's public relations officer.

Kerry told the committee that "the" state should not be in the business of killing people," Carpman said.