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Ohio lawmakers want death penalty moratorium

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Lawmakers pushing to ban capital punishment in Ohio have asked the governor for a moratorium on executions while a committee studies the death penalty.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor recently announced that a court committee will study Ohio's death penalty law to make sure it is working as well as it should.

O'Connor has emphasized that the committee will not examine whether to ban capital punishment.

Democratic State Reps. Ted Celeste of Columbus and Nickie Antonio of suburban Cleveland asked Gov. John Kasich Wednesday for a moratorium while the committee does its work.

Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols responded by saying the governor supports the death penalty.

Lethal injections in Ohio are in an unofficial lull while a federal judge examines the constitutionality of the state's execution rules.

Stories from the Associated Press.