Final death penalty repeal bill shelved in Colo.

The death penalty is staying in Colorado at least for another year. That’s after a state House committee shelved the lone remaining bill that could lead to repealing the punishment.

The measure rejected Wednesday would have asked voters whether the death penalty should be repealed. The sponsor was a death-penalty supporter, Democratic Rep. Rhonda Fields of Aurora. She proposed the ballot measure as a rival to a direct repeal.

Fields asked for her bill to be discarded a day after the rival repeal measure failed 6-4 in a separate committee. Two Democrats joined Republicans to preserve the penalty.

The death penalty bills were scuttled after Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper indicated he may not support repealing the punishment.