DEATH PENALTY ON BALLOT

The California Death Penalty Reform initiative has qualified for the November ballot. Signatures were validated Thursday for the plan to shorten the appeals process along with allowing death penalty inmates to be housed in less expensive general population prisons. A ban on the death penalty has also qualified and the one with the most votes wins should both pass. The measure was supported by Kern County District Attorney Lisa Green in the spring who said it would allow grieving families to finally get justice.