But it is my strong belief that there are some murders so heinous that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment, and accordingly, I will veto this legislation. A two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate is required to overturn the governor's veto. In light of the close votes in both chambers, overriding the veto is virtually impossible. The Granite State has not executed a convicted killer in more than 60 years. The state's death penalty law is also very restrictive, in terms of the crimes to which it can be applied.
People convicted of other first-degree murders face life sentences.
Shaheen's threat to veto the legislatively approved measure won the praise of the president of the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association. The New Hampshire death penalty is very limited in its use. For me to support the abolition would mean I didn't support the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day. They need to be protected. The threat of the death penalty is a way of telling people the consequences they will face will be severe.