In a bold move that could reshape Alabama’s legal landscape, a bill has been prefiled in the state’s legislature aiming to eliminate the death penalty. Should it pass, the public would have the opportunity to vote on abolishing capital punishment throughout Alabama.

The initiative comes from Representative Chris England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa, who introduced the bill on Tuesday. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Alabama Constitution of 2022, ensuring that no crime, regardless of its severity, would be punishable by death.

According to the current law, the death penalty is sanctioned as a punishment for murder, provided that certain aggravating factors are established during the trial. However, this bill seeks to alter the constitution to categorically prohibit the death penalty for any crime.

Should the legislature approve the bill, it would then be presented to the voters in a statewide referendum, giving Alabamians a direct say in the future of capital punishment in their state.

Alabama’s history with the death penalty dates back to 1812, with the execution of Eli Norman, who was hanged for murder. From that year until the U.S. Supreme Court’s temporary nationwide halt of the death penalty in 1972, Alabama executed over 700 individuals.

After the Court reversed its decision in 1976, Alabama reinstated capital punishment, although it wouldn’t be until 1983 that the state would execute John Evans III. Since then, over 83 inmates on death row have been executed.

In the last year, several Alabama politicians have introduced bills adding different crimes to be covered under the death penalty , such as child rape and murder while “knowingly creat(ing) a great risk of death to multiple persons.”

As of Thursday, there are 155 people on death row in Alabama.

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2021, approximately 60% of people across the country are in favor of the death penalty for those convicted of murder, 27% of whom “strongly favor it.”