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Cartaveta Belcher of Johnston County hasn't decided whether she supports the death penalty. But Belcher, whose sister was killed in Plymouth two years ago, believes inequities in the justice system give some killers the opportunity to walk free while others are executed. Belcher was in Raleigh on Wednesday supporting a two-year moratorium on the death penalty because she wants a study of equity in executions. If the death penalty is used, it should be applied fairly, she said, "regardless of the person's race." After being shut out of the House for two years, moratorium supporters say the door is open to a vote this year. "When we feel we've got the votes, the bill is going to move," said Rep. Paul Luebke, a Durham Democrat. The Senate approved the moratorium in 2003, but it never came up in the House despite heavy pressure from supporters. Speaker Jim Black, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, said in 2003 that he would vote for a moratorium. But Richard Morgan, a Moore County Republican who split leadership duties with Black for two years, blocked a vote. Supporters admit they are short of the 61 House votes needed to pass the bill, with opposition coming from members of both parties. On the flip side, the Legislative Black Caucus has made the moratorium one of its top priorities. A news conference sponsored by moratorium supporters featured family members of murder victims who said they were honoring their loved ones' memories by supporting the moratorium." The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) March 31, 2005