National Legislative Action
Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act
U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) recently introduced
the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2003. The bill, HR 2574,
was sponsored by 35 other democratic representatives and Mr. Sanders, an
independent, and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee. HR
2574 calls for an immediate halt to executions and the elimination of the
death penalty as a sentence for violations of federal law. The companion
bill in the Senate, The National Death Penalty Moratorium Act, was introduced
by Senator Feingold (D-WI). The bill, S 402, was co-sponsored by four
other Democrats and was also sent to the Judiciary Committee.
Innocence Protection Act
This February Senators Leahy (D-VT), Smith (R-OR) and Collins (R-ME), along
with Representatives Delahunt (D-MA) and LaHood (R-IL), reaffirmed their
commitment to the Innocence Protection Act, pledging “to continue to work
toward a bi-partisan consensus that will enable this lifesaving measure to
be signed into law this year.” Despite growing support for the IPA
during the last Congress, whether the act will finally garner enough support
to move it out of committee and onto the calendar is far from certain.
The Innocence Protection Act, first introduced in 2000, calls for a series
of criminal justice reforms that would reduce the risk of innocent persons
being executed. The act would require that any request from death
row inmates for DNA testing be approved. The other major component of the
act focuses on ways of improving the legal representation given to those
facing a death sentence. However, the act also calls for states to
maintain procedures for compensating the unjustly accused, and declares
the execution of juvenile offenders and the mentally handicapped an offense
to “contemporary standards of decency.”
While many of us would agree that any execution offends our standards of
decency, the act is an important step towards acknowledging the flaws inherent
in our present judicial system. As 108 people in the U.S. have been
released from death row since 1973, the need for measures reducing the rate
of wrongful conviction in capital cases should be self-evident.
But just to make sure, write or email our senators and your representative
telling them that you support the Innocence Protection Act and an end to
the death penalty.
(Name of Representative)
Senator John Warner/George
Allen
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
Washington DC 20515
Washington DC 20510
Email
www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.html
allen.senate.gov/email.html
warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.htm