Despite receiving support from 55 percent of voters Tuesday, reinstating the death penalty in Wisconsin does not seem to be a feasible possibility in the near future.
The re-election of Gov. Jim Doyle and a new Democratic majority in the state Senate would make it extremely difficult for the bill to be passed.
""Governor Doyle has stated his opposition [to the death penalty],"" said Matt Canter, his spokesperson. He added that Doyle's history in law enforcement has led him to believe that life without the possibility of parole is the highest penalty a criminal should face.
The Innocence Project, a non-partisan group which engages in a wide range of policy advocacy work, including working to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals, has expressed its opposition to the referendum as well.
""We have a number of concerns about the referendum and subsequent legislation and will want to make our concerns clear and do all that we can to help people within Wisconsin get their concerns out as well,"" said Eric Ferrero, a spokesperson for the project.
State Sen. Alan Lasee, R-De Pere, the author of the bill that put the referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot, however, remains optimistic and determined to reinstate the death penalty after a 150-year hiatus.
""I have never backed down from a challenge, and the results from [Tuesday] night indicated that the groundwork has been laid for reinstatement,"" Lasee said in a statement.
State Sen. Tom Reynolds, R-Wauwatosa, a sponsor of the bill who recently lost his seat to Democrat Jim Sullivan by 700 votes, does not share Lasee's optimism.
Reynolds said not only would the death penalty not pass in the Legislature, but he didn't think legislators would even attempt to take up the bill.
Furthermore Reynolds doesn't foresee any progress at the Capitol in upcoming years.
""Nothing is going to be passing at all,"" Reynolds said. ""There will be complete gridlock.""
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, agreed with Reynolds that the death penalty would not make it through the Legislature. Black disagreed with Reynolds that there will be gridlock in Madison, and said that he thinks ""it is more likely there will be progress under the current partisan alignment then there was under the previous two years.""
""There is the potential because both sides realize that there is no alternative but to compromise,"" Black said.
