CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien today blasted the three Democrat candidate for Governor for opposing a law to allow the death penalty for first degree murder committed during the act of burglary. The “Kim Cates” bill (HB 147), signed into law by Governor Lynch last year, was sponsored by O’Brien in response to the tragic slaying of Kimberly Cates of Mont Vernon and allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty for this additional crime. At the Granite State Debate televised last night at St. Anselm’s College, the three candidates all stated that they would have vetoed the bill had it come to their desk as Governor.
House Speaker William O’Brien
“I was stunned to hear that each of the Democrats running for Governor would choose to deny justice for families who have lost a loved one to such a heinous crime as having a murderer commit burglary and kill someone in the sanctity of his or her home. Our homes should be a place of safety, and to see these Democrats so callously disregard the sense of wellbeing in our own homes is staggering. My own community has seen the tragic reality of this type of violence that has shattered our security, and this law has helped to restore our confidence in our own homes, while ensuring that any other families who experience this type of tragedy know that there will be justice. I am appalled by these candidates who would strip us of this comfort and bring us back to a time when murderers did not need to fear the most serious consequences for their actions. I hope they come to my community, walk with me, talk to our residents and reconsider their misguided position on this important issue.”