As this State considers how it will disentangle yesteryear's racism from today's criminal legal system and recover from the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 it is crucial our state legislators abolish the death penalty. The death penalty does not justify its own existence. It has a documented lineage of racism and is a continuation of racial terrorism. This racist history is reflected in Nevada's current death row, where Black Americans are disproportionately represented. We also know the death penalty incurs an exorbinant cost to Nevada's taxpayers, death penalty trials alone cost roughly $500,000 more than non-capital cases. It is time to end capital punishment and reinvest those funds for programs that do deter crime or empower victims.