Vatican, Cuomo Both Come Out Against Death Penalty
ALBANY N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - On the same day Pope Francis changed Catholic teachings, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he's planning on pushing for new legislation to remove the death penalty from New York state law.
At the Vatican, the pontiff condemned the death penalty, calling it "inadmissible," an attack on human dignity and an outdated teaching.
Cuomo said his proposal is being made in solidarity with the pope and in honor of his late father, Mario Cuomo, a staunch death penalty opponent during his three terms as New York governor from 1983 to 1994.
The elder Cuomo vetoed legislation reinstating the death penalty 12 times in 12 years.
New York's death penalty was reinstated in 1995 while Republican George Pataki was governor. The state's highest court ruled it unconstitutional in 2004. The state hasn't executed a prisoner since 1963.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
