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Volume 2, No. 1 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016
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A message from Diann Rust-Tierney of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
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Greetings and Happy New Year and welcome to the new and improved Campaigner!
We’ve changed the format of The Campaigner so that it is easier for us to share information, dialogue, and plan our work to end the death penalty together.
This is what the 90 Million Strong Campaign is all about – people working together to mobilize a powerful grassroots movement to end the death penalty once and for all.
As I write this greeting, we are celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, which ruled Florida’s death penalty statute unconstitutional. You can read about the case in more detail and our response to the decision.
This is more evidence that the momentum against capital punishment continues to build.
In this issue, we also celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy and commitment to compassion, care, and respect for every individual.
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Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches – and our newest 90 Million Strong Campaign partner – shares his reflections on Dr. King and the NCC’s long-term commitment to ending the death penalty. The National Council of Churches represents 38 denominations representing 40 million Christians.
As lawmakers across the country kick-off their legislative session, Across State Lines gives you a run-down of what to expect in your state and others. Most importantly, we give you opportunities to get involved, get prepared and let us know how you can help make abolition a reality.
Talk back! Let us know what’s happening in your state. Let us know your ideas for getting more people involved in this effort.
We are off to a great start in 2016. We can top the progress we made in 2015. We are 90 Million Strong and growing!!!
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By Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary National Council of Churches
This month, we all make a special effort to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his impact on policy change, particularly during 1968 before and following his passing. That same year, the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, the largest and oldest ecumenical organization in the nation, voted unanimously to support abolishment of the death penalty. Many of the 38 member denominations of the NCC, representing some 40 million Christians, were already working for an end to capital punishment.
This conviction flowed from a fundamental belief in the worth of human life and the dignity of humanity as gifts of God and a preference for rehabilitation rather than retribution in the treatment of offenders. Even then, the NCC raised questions about the assertion the death penalty served as a deterrent to crime, noted that errors in judgment resulted inevitably in wrongful executions, and pointed out that poor defendants, particularly members of racial minorities, were more likely to be executed because they were unable to afford exhaustive legal defenses. Finally, the death penalty removes the possibility of redemption and God’s grace and cannot therefore be supported by Christian teaching. The National Council of Churches is proud to be a supporter of the 90 Million Strong Campaign and pledges its support in the continuing effort to eliminate the death penalty as a means of punishment in our nation.
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The Delaware Repeal Bill SB40 is scheduled to be considered on the House floor next Thursday, January 28. Now is the time to rally and contact your representative in Delaware. Check this map of House Districts to find your Representative:
Call or email your representative, tell them you live in their district and urge them to vote YES on SB40 to repeal the death penalty in Delaware!
If you have time to do more, reach out to your networks on social media and show your support for repeal:
It’s time to #HaltAllExecutions and repeal the death penalty in #DE
Time to repeal the death penalty in #Delaware #90millionStrong
Make #Delaware the first state in 2016 to repeal the death penalty #90MillionStrong
If you don’t live in Delaware, maybe you know someone who does—make sure they know it’s time for action—share this action alert
See below, for more information on how you make 2016 the best year ever for abolition!
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Post, send and share the following items to help educate your friends, colleagues about the need to abolish the death penalty. For additional memes, click here.
Dr. Martin Luther King opposed capital punishment, stating “I do not think that God approves of the death penalty for any crime, rape and murder included. Capital punishment is against the better judgment of modern criminology and above all, against the highest expression of love in the nature of God.”
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ACROSS STATE LINES
2016, Reform and Repeal is On the Move!
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As state legislatures prepare for the 2016 sessions across the country, each of us can prepare to support legislation that can reform the criminal justice system in some states and end the death penalty in others.
2016 Repeal States Watch:
Delaware: Focusing on criminal justice reform, including repeal of the death penalty, nearly a dozen events were held around the state. Last session, Gov. Jack Markell stated he would sign repeal legislation, and Delaware’s state senate passed the repeal bill. It stalled in a House Committee. At a fall event, Rep. Sean Lyn(the bill's main House sponsor) told those attending the town hall that he plans to file a motion to suspend House rules to bypass the committee. This would allow the measure to be heard by House lawmakers. Watch for renewed action this session.
Kansas: There’s a hot campaign underway in Kansas. Momentum built this fall. Nebraska State Sen. Colby Coash came to the state to share the story of Nebraska’s successful legislative campaign and NCADP’s Diann Rust-Tierney spent a week holding public, media, and policymaker meetings. Read more from the Hutchinson News. With the 2016 session now underway, spread the word for Kansans to attend the Sponsors and Supporters press conference on January 28 at 11:45 a.m. on the Second Floor Capitol Rotunda in Topeka! The call for repeal of the death penalty in Kansas is now. For more details or questions, connect with the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
New Hampshire: Sen. Coash also spoke at the New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s annual fall dinner. The last successful vote was in the state House of Representatives in 2014, but watch this session to see if New Hampshire can push forward towards repeal.
Washington: In November, state prosecutors announced they would ask lawmakers to send a death penalty referendum to voters in 2016. At that time, some legislators stated they preferred the more traditional legislative route. In 2014, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a moratorium on executions during his tenure. The Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is preparing for it’s annual Lobby Day January 26, 2016. Click here to learn more.
2016 Referendum Watch:
Nebraska: It’s not over in Nebraska yet. As you know, last spring the Nebraska legislature passed repeal legislation and overrode a veto by the governor. However, death penalty supporters got enough signatures to put the issue on the November 2016 ballot. Let’s keep up the support for repeal in Nebraska! Visit the Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty site to stay up to date.
Oklahoma: State Question 776 is on the November 2016 ballot. It appears to be a “court-stripping” constitutional amendment that would protect Oklahoma’s death penalty from legal challenge under the state’s constitution. For specific Question 776 language, click here. Learn more and keep updated by bookmarking the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s website.
California: Justice that Works supporters announced its intention to move forward with a ballot initiative to end the death penalty in 2016. Death penalty proponents, too, have announced that they will move a pro-death penalty measure that would seek to further entrench the practice. Stay tuned for more information on how you could help.
2016 Focus on Reforms:
Multiple states will be introducing or moving existing legislation towards narrowing capital punishment. One of the areas of concern is barring the severely mentally ill from execution. The American Bar Association has launched the Serious Mental Illness Initiative that can support the education and legislative work in the states on this issue.
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WE NEED YOU!
Sign Up Now – You Don’t Have to Live Where Advocacy is Needed!
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Activists from around the country should prepare now to support reform and repeal efforts in 2016. You can help no matter where you live. Here are several ways:
Sign up to be a caller:
Whether it’s a call to activists at key times or building a crowd for an important event, it doesn’t matter where you’re from -- you can be a caller.
Click here to sign up for the caller team. When there’s a need for callers, we will check with you to see if you are available. Whether you can make a few calls or many, every call you make will help.
We’ll send you a caller kit of clear instructions, call talking points, and how to answer likely questions. Be a personal voice on the phone for ending the death penalty.
Compile your action teams:
It’s a small world in many ways. Let’s get started! Who do you know in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Washington and Delaware? Make your list now and be prepared to pass along action alerts to your family, friends and associates in these states.
Be a traveler for repeal:
Will you travel to a state to help in person? States pushing for repeal may need your in-state help. Out of state volunteers were helpful, for example, in the successful Illinois repeal campaign. You may be asked to attend events, knock on doors, answer phones or other volunteer tasks. Click here to sign up now, if you will be a traveler for repeal!
If you are able and willing to travel to other states, you may need to cover some expenses. Click here for suggestions on how you might fund your travel!
Build the 90 Million team:
Every new 90 Million Strong recruit brings new energy and new activism to our goal of ending the death penalty once and for all in America.
Check out the Meeting in a Box on the 90 Million Strong website. Whether you talk with a small number of friends or speak with your community or faith group, the tools are available online to help you do so with ease.
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