(KRON) -- California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) is commending Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement Thursday that he will commute the death sentences of all California inmates. ‘A righteous action’: Newsom to commute all California death sentences Sen. Cortese told KRON4 in a statement, “I commend Governor Newsom for his courageous decision to commute death row. The death penalty has, for decades, disproportionately targeted marginalized communities and has resulted in the conviction of dozens of innocent people. A society that respects life should not deliberately kill human beings. We as Californians are morally obligated to prioritize public safety and rehabilitation, and this action by the Governor does just that. A sentence of life without the possibility of parole is not an act of forgiveness; rather, this is a momentous step towards redressing the costly failure of the death penalty while upholding the rule of law.” The outgoing governor's decision reverses the penalty for all 548 death row inmates to life without parole. Cortese continues, “I stand with victims and survivors of crime who have been impacted not only by the unfortunate choices of others, but also by our justice system. This action is tremendous progress, and I am committed to continuing to work at the state level to keep our communities safe, while bolstering equitable due process in our courts.” ...read more read less