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Colorado Death Penalty Curbs Rejected By Lawmakers

DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers have rejected a GOP proposal to curb the governor's ability to grant reprieves to death row inmates.

A bill considered Monday was inspired by the indefinite reprieve issued last year by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Nathan Dunlap
Nathan Dunlap (credit: Colorado Governor's Office)

The Democrat granted the reprieve for Nathan Dunlap, who killed four people at an Aurora pizzeria in 1993.

Republican Rep. Libby Szabo suggested a bill to give governors just 90 days for any death-penalty reprieve. A Democratic committee rejected the proposal 6-3 on Monday.

The vote came on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by another man on Colorado's death row seeking to unseal records in his case.

LINK: House Bill 1197

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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