Simonaire entering session with open mind on death penalty

An Anne Arundel County state senator who sits on the committee that could decide the fate of the death penalty this session is pledging to keep an open mind when debate starts anew in January.

State Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Pasadena, who voted against a bill in 2007 to repeal the death penalty as a member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, said he is going to carefully examine the recommendations from the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment.

The 23-member commission recently voted to recommend abolishing the death penalty, although its decision was not unanimous. A majority and minority report is scheduled to...