Washington state has passed a bill to abolish the death penalty, formally codifying a previous court ruling against the practice. The legislation also contained other criminal justice reforms, including a ban on the use of sterilization as a punishment for crimes. 

signed the bill into law on Thursday, making Washington the 23rd US state to do away with capital punishment. The legislation removed language pertaining to the death penalty from the state’s criminal code, after the Washington Supreme court ruled that it contained “defects.”

“I initiated a moratorium against the death penalty in Washington State in 2014, and our rationale for that decision was affirmed by our [state] Supreme Court decision in 2018, when they invalidated the death penalty statute,” Inslee said during the bill signing. “They made clear… that the penalty has been applied unequally and in a racially insensitive manner.”

Passing the state legislature earlier this month, the bill faced opposition from Republicans. State Rep. Jim Walsh said the measure was “rushed” and merely a “collection of narrow, technical corrections” rather than a “fundamental change” to the state’s death penalty laws.

“did not find the death penalty per se unconstitutional” and challenged the legitimacy of the recently passed bill. 

“racial bias.”

“We are pleased that the Washington state Legislature has finally finished the work of ending this arbitrary and discriminatory practice,” she added.

data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC).