Raw Story

Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis made a return to capital punishment in his state a key element of his "tough on crime" campaign messaging this past year, and the result was an overall increase in the use of the death penalty in the United States, according to a new annual report.

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) found that although a majority of U.S. states—29 of them—have now either abolished the death penalty or enacted a moratorium on executions, the number of people killed by state governments rose from 18 in 2022 to 25 in 2023.

The group attributed the rise to Florida's return to capital punishment after a four-year hiatus, with DeSantis moving forward with the executions of six people—the highest number in the state since 2014.

The state's new pattern of putting Floridians to death showed no sign of slowing down in the coming year, as it also imposed five new death sentences—the most of any state in 2023.

The DPIC catalogued other laws signed by DeSantis this year as he joined the Republican presidential primary race, in which he is currently trailing former Republican President Donald Trump by more than 47 points, with an average of 12.6% of Republicans backing him according to the latest polls.

In April Florida passed a law allowing the state to execute people convicted of sexual battery of a child under the age of 12 in cases in which the victim is not killed—a law that conflicts with a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar statute in Louisiana.

DeSantis also approved a law giving Florida the lowest threshold in the U.S. for permitting juries to sentence a convicted criminal to death, allowing a death sentence if only eight out of 12 jurors agree. Only Alabama and Florida allow non-unanimous juries to impose a death sentence, and Alabama's threshold is 10 jurors.

Florida also holds the country's record for the highest number of exonerations from death row, with 30 people exonerated—the majority after being sentenced by non-unanimous juries.

"It should be hard to send someone to the death penalty," Randolph Bracy, a former Democratic Florida state senator who pushed to require a unanimous jury vote for death sentences, toldThe New York Times when DeSantis signed the bill. "Florida has the highest rate of wrongful convictions, I think, in the country. We needed that threshold to make sure that we were doing the right thing."

As DeSantis' policies led to an increase in executions in the U.S., the DPIC reported that the Florida governor is out of step with a growing number of Americans. For the first time this year, Gallup found that 50% of Americans believe the death penalty is administered unfairly, while only 47% believe it is used fairly.

"That important change can also be seen in the unprecedented show of support for death-sentenced prisoners from conservative lawmakers and elected officials this year, some of whom now oppose use of the death penalty in their state," said Robin M. Maher, executive director of DPIC.

Richard Glossip, who was convicted of a 1997 murder in Oklahoma and sentenced to death earlier this year, was issued a stay of execution in May after the state's Republican attorney general joined campaigners who had long advocated for Glossip's life to be spared.

The DPIC found that a majority of the people who were executed in 2023—79% of whom had impairments such as brain injuries, serious childhood trauma, or developmental disabilities—would likely not have received death sentences had they been tried today, "due to significant changes in the law, prosecutorial decision-making, and public attitudes over the past few decades."

"Today," said the group, "they would have powerful arguments for life sentences and decisions from juries who better understand the effects of mental illness, developmental impairments, and severe trauma."

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Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) is still upset after he was allegedly shoved in the halls of the Capitol building by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

In an interview with CNN's Manu Raju, Burchett recounted the incident, which was first reported by NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, in which McCarthy walked by him and allegedly gave him a sharp elbow.

Burchett then denounced the former speaker in more personal terms.

"As I have stated many times, he is a bully with $17 million and a security detail," he said. "He is the type of guy that, when you are a kid, he would throw the rock over the fence and run home to hide behind his mama's skirt. He hit from behind, and that kind of stuff. That is not the way we handle things in East Tennessee."

McCarthy has denied elbowing Burchett, who was one of eight Republican lawmakers to vote to oust him as speaker earlier this year.

However, Burchett told Raju that he is not buying McCarthy's denial for a minute.

"Of course, as he always does, he just denies it or blames somebody else or something," said Burchett, who claimed that he was still feeling some pain in his kidneys thanks to his encounter with McCarthy.

Watch the video below or at this link.

GOP lawmaker rails at 'bully' Kevin McCarthy over alleged shoving incident www.youtube.com

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) reportedly stepped in to stop a "literal brawl" during a Senate hearing Tuesday.

At a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee meeting, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) read a tweet from Teamster Sean O'Brien. The social media post suggested O'Brien was ready to fight the senator.

"Sir, this is a time, this is a place," Mullin said. "If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here."

"Perfect," O'Brien replied.

"You want to do it now?" Mullin challenged.

"I'd love to do it right now," O'Brien insisted.

"Well, stand your butt up then," the senator said.

"You stand your butt up," O'Brien shot back.

ALSO READ: Republican congressman gets jacked by thief

At that point, Mullin stood up and prepared to fight O'Brien before Sanders spoke up.

"Oh, hold it," Sanders remarked. "Is that your solution? No, no, sit down. Sit down. You're a United States Senator. Act like it."

Bloomberg's Ian Kullgren described the incident as a near "literal brawl."

"This is the most insane thing I have ever seen on Capitol Hill," he wrote on X.

Watch the video below or at this link.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) left the presidential race on Sunday night, reported MSNBC, citing a Fox report.

"One thing I would recommend to every American if you ever want to love your country more, run for president," Scott told Trey Gowdy. "Traveling this country and meeting people [was] one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life. I love America more today than I did on May 22. When I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign. I think the voters were the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear. They are telling me not now. I don't think they're saying no, but I do think they're saying not now. So, I'm going to respect the voters, and I'm going to hold on and work really hard and look forward to the other opportunities."

Scott had a rough moment at the GOP debate this week, only being noticed for the fact that he brought his girlfriend out for the public to see.

According to strategists on MSNBC, Scott wasn't likely to break through, particularly when it comes to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's surge in the polls.

Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out early last week, but his polls were so weak that it didn't add to anyone other campaigns.

Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) called it a South Carolina play, and explained that donors he shored up from the state may have been unwilling to help continue to help his campaign.

Scott went on to tell reporters he wasn't ready to indicate who would get his support.

See a report from MSNBC on the matter in the video below or at the link here.

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