Connecticut's Joint Judiciary Committee are likely to be voting on legislation that would end the states death penalty next week - as early as Monday. If it passes there, the full House or Senate could be voting two weeks later.
If you are a Connecticut resident, email your representatives in the House and Senate. Tell them that the death penalty is broken beyond repair and Connecticut is ready to let it go.
Connecticut has been here before. In 2009 the state legislature passed a repeal bill and it would be law today if it hadn't been vetoed by then-Governor Jodi Rell. Now Connecticut has a new governor - Malloy - who says:
Let's be very clear. We do not have a workable death penalty in the state of Connecticut today. Period. There are two people on death row who have been on death row for over 20 years…The only person to be put to death in the state of Connecticut did so voluntarily.
So, really, we just have to be honest about the conversation we're having when it comes to the death penalty. I've stated over and over and over again what my position is. I want to be very clear that if such a bill was to come to me, I will sign it. But let's not pretend we have a workable death penalty in the state of Connecticut.
It's crystal. If we can get a bill to repeal the death penalty to Governor Malloy's desk, he will sign it. So let's get him that bill! Connecticut residents - contact your lawmakers today.
Last month the Joint Judiciary held a marathon hearing death penalty bill. It went on for over 15 hours.
Powerful testimony in favor of repeal from victims' families, death row exonerees, experts, religious leaders, law enforcement, and others lasted long into the night - long after the media had left to file their stories.
But, if you happen to be a repeal junkie (my organization Equal Justice USA has been working closely on the campaign in Connecticut) and were there (or watching on the CT General Assembly's live stream) you saw a lot of stories that the media missed.
For example, Victoria Coward, whose 18-year-old son Tyler was murdered in New Haven, didn’t get to speak until after midnight.
To a mostly empty room she shared her experience of being ignored by the criminal justice system. Her case – like most murder cases in Connecticut - didn’t involve the death penalty.
Victoria said that most mothers of murdered children in Connecticut are like her, but their cases get so little attention, you haven’t heard of them.
There were 24 homicides in my community of New Haven last year. That’s 24 mothers. Each life deserves to be valued. Not matter where or how the crime is committed. Each of us deserves to be heard. And each of us has powerful needs like help navigating the legal system, help covering basic expenses like funerals, and ongoing counseling.
It is shameful that we spend millions of dollars and countless hours on a few capital cases when there are so many of us with so many needs unmet.
Stand with mothers like Victoria and tell Connecticut lawmakers that the death penalty fails to meet the needs of victims' families, is unfair, and needs to be ended.
Each state that ends the death penalty paves the way for others to do the same. And just a few weeks ago Illinois joined the group of non-death penalty states. If we add Connecticut to that list this year, we could kickstart an acceleration of successful repeal campaigns across the country. Take action and stay tuned for a double dose of justice this year!