Sponsor of death penalty repeal tweaking bill at last minute

FILE - This June 18, 2010, file photo shows the firing squad execution chamber at the Utah State Prison, in Draper, Utah. Utah lawmakers are nearing their deadline to decide if they want to abolish the death penalty in the conservative state. The final day of the legislative session is Thursday, March 10, 2016, and lawmakers have until midnight to vote. Last year, Utah lawmakers voted to reinstate firing squads as a backup method to ensure the state had a way to kill death row inmates if it couldn't get lethal-injection drugs. (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File) FILE - This June 18, 2010, file photo shows the firing squad execution chamber at the Utah State Prison, in Draper, Utah. Utah lawmakers are nearing their deadline to decide if they want to abolish the death penalty in the conservative state. The final day of the legislative session is Thursday, March 10, 2016, and lawmakers have until midnight to vote. Last year, Utah lawmakers voted to reinstate firing squads as a backup method to ensure the state had a way to kill death row inmates if it couldn't get lethal-injection drugs. (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

By Associated Press March 10, 2016 4 min read

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A Republican lawmaker who shepherded a longshot push to abolish the death penalty in conservative Utah said Thursday evening he was working on last-minute changes to his bill, which didn’t appear to have enough support to pass before a midnight deadline, when the legislative session ends.

Sen. Steve Urquhart told The Associated Press he still believed his proposal would receive a final vote in the state’s House of Representatives before lawmakers adjourn.

He declined to talk further or offer details about the changes.

His late-hour revisions came on the heels of his GOP co-sponsor admitting the proposal probably didn’t have enough votes to pass.

“It’s a big, big conversation,” said Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns. “It’s a conversation that we haven’t had much time yet in the session to discuss.”