June 26, 2025 — SACRAMENTO, Calif.
Civil rights leaders are urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to commute all death sentences in the state, as they held a rally on the steps of the state Capitol on Thursday.
California currently has 574 individuals on death row, the most in the nation, while being the most populous U.S. state.
The last execution in California was nearly 20 years ago, and Newsom issued an executive order in 2019 establishing a moratorium on executions, dismantling the death chamber at San Quentin, and repealing California’s lethal injection protocol.
However, some advocates want the governor to take further action…