The death of death may be greatly exaggerated

This article from the Baltimore Sun highlights why, despite lots of attacks on the administration of the death penalty, legislative repeal the death penalty is never easy:

A proposed repeal of the death penalty in Maryland, which seemed to gain momentum when Gov. Martin O'Malley said he would sign a bill, appears headed for defeat in a key Senate committee.  "I think it's an uphill battle either in committee or on the Senate floor," said Sen. Brian E. Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which will take up the measure Wednesday.