Political issues get a lot of attention when they play out on the national stage, but local and state politicians play a huge role in pushing matters, such as capital punishment, into the spotlight. Public interest in capital punishment has been reignited in a big way as the Supreme Court hears testimony on the manner in which executions are carried out, but the death penalty was an important topic in state legislatures throughout 2007. In December New Jersey became the first state to ban the death penalty in decades when its legislature passed S 171, but Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico all took up similar legislation. Several other states made changes to laws governing the use and implementation of the death penalty. Project Vote Smart's Legislative Research Department is committed to providing you with non-partisan information on both federal and state-level legislation. Visit PVS's State Key Votes Program to keep up on how your state legislators are voting on the issues that matter most to you.