The Wisconsin Senate voted Tuesday to ask citizens whether they believe the state should reestablish the death penalty.

In a largely partisan 20-13 vote, Senate members passed a resolution providing for a statewide advisory referendum after hours of debate.

According to resolution author Sen. Alan Lasee, R-De Pere, the measure is neither binding nor permanent but simply allows citizens to have a voice in the matter.

"What's wrong with asking the people how they feel about issues of this nature?" Lasee said. "It's time to find out what people think and it's time for legislators to pay attention and listen."

Democratic opponents of the measure, called Senate Joint Resolution 5, argued the issue's irrelevance, adding legislators should be focusing on timely items like job creation, tax reform and health care.

"We're slamming bills through here, but bills that are very important to citizens of the state of Wisconsin are put on the back burner," Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, said. "But those that are sensational … are pushed to the front of the line."

Lasee countered, however, that SJR 5 is appropriate and is a measure to combat an ethically "slipping" society, in which more and more "vicious" murders are occurring.

Lasee added 38 other states have the death penalty.

But Wisconsin still has a lower murder rate than many states with the death penalty, Democrats said, adding many capital punishments have led to the execution of wrongly convicted people.

"There is no guarantee … we will never have a system that executes an innocent person. One out of a billion and the system is flawed," Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, said. "The state of Wisconsin, if this becomes law, will kill an innocent person somewhere along the way."

Supporters, however, charge such mistakes are unlikely, citing provisions in the resolution mandating a conviction must be backed by DNA evidence to face capital punishment.

According to the resolution language, citizens would be asked in the referendum whether the death penalty should be enacted in cases involving first-degree intentional, vicious homicides supported by DNA evidence.

The Assembly must pass SJR 5 before it can be put on a statewide ballot as early as September.

Wisconsin has banned the death penalty since 1853.