By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – State Senator Hank Sanders has been trying to change Alabama's death penalty laws since 2000. Wednesday, he made some progress. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved four of Sanders' bills. They would place a three-year moratorium on executions, prohibit the death penalty for anyone under 18, ban execution of the mentally retarded, and prohibit a judge from imposing a death sentence if a jury recommends life in prison without parole. The bills now go to the Senate for consideration. Despite the committee victory, Sanders says his bills face an uphill battle in the Senate.