Miller Favors Death Penalty For Teacher Killers

While some Maryland legislators want to debate the repeal of the death penalty there is one category of murder Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller would like to add to the list of capital punishment eligible cases.

Miller said Wednesday that he'd like to expand the add teacher killers to the list.

"If someone's going to go to an elementary school classroom and kill a teacher, in my opinion teachers are the front line of democracy," Miller said. "Some thug comes in with a [Bushmaster] assault rifle and mows down the kids, in my opinion they should pay the ultimate price."

Miller said he has six sisters who are teachers.

"There are no armed guards there," Miller said.

Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to introduce a bill to repeal the death penalty in Maryland—a bill the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will have to take up later this session.

"So when we take up this bill, I'd like to see [teacher killers] added to the list of prescribed penalties," Miller said.