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Senator calls for death penalty in Illinois

A longtime Democratic state Senator is calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Illinois.  Sen. Bill Haine was against Illinois' abolishing capital punishment a few years ago, in 2011.  After all, he's a former Madison County prosecutor.  But Haine says since then, times have changed.

"There have been some dramatic, and terrible acts committed. Not only in Illinois, but in the United States, that have brought the attention of the citizens back to 'how do we establish order and justice for the innocent?  And how do we punish grave evil-doers?'"

Haine says next month he'll introduce legislation that would once again allow criminals to be sentenced to death. But only in limited cases; he says the ultimate punishment should be reserved for serial killers, the premeditated murder of police, those who kill children, and mass murderers.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.