Ryan asks Illinois lawmakers to start overhaul of death penalty

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gov. George Ryan asked lawmakers Monday to begin considering a major overhaul of Illinois' death penalty system, including reducing the number of crimes eligible for capital punishment.

Lawmakers could bar executions of mentally retarded people and eliminate the death penalty when convictions are based on the word of jailhouse informants.

The Republican governor wants hearings on the legislative recommendations of his special Commission on Capital Punishment, which called last month for wholesale changes after studying the issue for two years.

But lawmakers made it clear when the commission issued its report that some ideas stood little chance of winning approval.