One signature. 548 lives. Gavin Newsom has just announced he will wipe out the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere. ⚖️ On Thursday, California’s governor said he’ll commute the death sentences of every inmate currently on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In an open letter to Californians, he said he’d come to believe “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values.” 🇺🇸 The 548 people affected include 529 men and 19 women, among them some of the state’s most notorious killers. And the decision comes with a caveat: for inmates with prior felony convictions, the California Supreme Court must sign off, which will matter in hundreds of cases. 🏛️ Newsom admitted it was one of the toughest choices of his career. He called the state’s system a failure that can’t be applied fairly and says it has led to innocent people being convicted. He acknowledged that his decision will hurt and anger many Californians, but wrote that he alone bears responsibility, “just as I alone would bear responsibility for each execution.” 💬 In practice, it’s largely symbolic. California hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, and only 13 inmates have been put to death since voters brought the death penalty back in 1978. Newsom had already imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019, and experts say the change could save millions of dollars in court costs each year. 💰 Reactions have been sharply divided. The ACLU called it a historic step toward ending the death penalty. But victims’ rights advocates have blasted the move, and the father of Polly Klaas, one of the state’s most infamous murder victims, criticized the governor over it. Voters in California chose to keep the death penalty in 2012 and again in 2016. 😔 The timing is hard to ignore. Newsom is term-limited and winding down his final months in office, with Xavier Becerra projected to succeed him. He’s also widely discussed as a possible 2028 presidential contender. 🗳️ - @ruthelita2