New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has signed a bill to abolish the state’s death penalty, making New Jersey the first state to ban the death penalty in more than forty years. In a speech from his office at the state capitol, Corzine declared an end to what he called “state-endorsed killing.”

Jon Corzine: “Today, December 17th, 2007, is a momentous day. It’s a day of progress for the state of New Jersey and for the millions of people across our nation and around the globe who reject the death penalty as a moral or practical response to the grievous, even heinous, crime of murder. Today, through my signature on this bill, New Jersey abolishes the death penalty as a policy of our state.”

Corzine said New Jersey could serve as a model for other states.