Wisconsin, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin News and Politics

WISCONSIN — The state Senate on Tuesday narrowly approved a bill that would repeal the so-called death penalty and allow inmates to choose between death or life in prison without parole.

Senate Bill 541 would also restore public safety by requiring all Wisconsin inmates to undergo drug testing and require the state attorney general to notify all inmates of their rights to petition for clemency.

Under the bill, any inmate convicted of a felony would be eligible for clemicones.

Any inmate who violates the rules would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

Gov.

Scott Walker signed the bill into law in July 2016.

It is the second time in three years that Walker has signed a bill repealing the death penalty.

Walker’s signature was part of a broader effort by the governor to dismantle the death row system and reinstate the death sentence for people convicted of violent crimes.

Since the governor signed the legislation, Wisconsin has executed more than 800 people.