ABOLITION in COLORADO!

“It’s Always A Thrill When They Pass Your Bill”

Hearty congratulations to Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and everyone who had a hand in making Colorado the 22nd state to *abandon* the death penalty! After many hours of emotional and sometimes brutal debate, the bill passed yesterday afternoon with a vote of 38 to 27. Governor Polis is expected to sign the bill into law soon.

Some handy statistics:

• 12 states have never had a death penalty in the post-Furman era (since 1972).
• In 2007 New Jersey became the first state to legislatively repeal its death penalty since 1964. This was followed by New Mexico in 2009, Illinois in 2011, Connecticut in 2012, Maryland in 2013, Nebraska in 2015, New Hampshire in 2019 and now Colorado in 2020. NOTE: The Nebraska repeal was sadly overturned via referendum.
• New York, Delaware and Washington state death penalty laws were thrown out by the courts.

And that brings us to 28 states remaining with the death penalty, plus the military and the federal government. There is still much work to do!

Tenacity works. Pictured with the Colorado Capitol dome in the background is Death Penalty Action’s co-director Abe Bonowitz with long-time friend Ellen Moore, Amnesty International’s Colorado state Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator. Ellen has been at it in Colorado for decades, and Abe was there with her in 2009 when the abolition bill failed by a single vote. Congratulations again to Ellen, and to so many others who made this victory happen yesterday.

What’s next? Keep standing up in opposition to executions!

• Death Penalty Action protests every execution. Click here to sign & share the petitions for the upcoming executions in Alabama and Texas. Petitions for later-scheduled executions in will be launched shortly.
• Plan now to participate in other protests, such as the 27th Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty at the US Supreme Court, and/or the next Tennessee March4Mercy on May 31st in Nashville. Click through to order postcards you and your community can send to Governor Lee.
• Support the work. Click now to help Death Penalty Action continue this work. (Use PayPal, here.)

Let us know how we can support your efforts where you live by replying to this message.

Together we are making a difference.

Thank you.

— abe

Abraham J. Bonowitz, Co-Director

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