Death Penalty is at a 45 YEAR low...Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty

NYT: Death Penalty loses majority support for first time in 45 years
Our movement is at the forefront of historical change.

A new Pew study shows that support for the death penalty is at a 45 YEAR low. California has an opportunity to set a national trend.

When California passes Proposition 62 on Election Day and ends its death penalty, we think this could set off a national trend. Do you agree?
polling shows the death penalty support at a 45 year low

This Pew study is getting national attention and was featured in a New York Times story just the other day. We think this is just the beginning of national eradication of the death penalty, but California must come first.

Once Proposition 62 wins in California, do you see potential for a national movement?
Late last month, we were treated to big news when another national organization came out in support of repeal. The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), which is a bipartisan group representing 320 state legislators, adopted a resolution calling for the death penalty to be repealed. In a written statement, NHCSL’s President, Ángel Cruz said, “We cannot allow more government dollars to be diverted to killing people, instead of investing them in prevention, rehabilitation, and effective crime fighting measures that ensure greater safety in our communities.”
Conservatives Concerned in the field
CCATDP had another busy month. After crisscrossing the country for the past several weeks, I arrived in Oklahoma to participate in two press conferences on SQ 776, which is a measure seeking to add the death penalty to Oklahoma’s Constitution. One of the events was in Oklahoma City and the other in Tulsa. I was joined by death row exonerees, Randy Steidl and Kwame Ajamu, as well as a host of political and religious leaders from across the state who believe that the proposal will undermine our system of checks and balances and create costly litigation.
While I was in the Sooner State, I also spoke at a couple political events. I presented the conservative case against the death penalty at the Oklahoma Republican Liberty Caucus and spoke at the Oklahoma City Liberty on Tap chapter. Around thirty or more people attended each event, and both groups were dismayed by how broken their state’s death penalty is. Many of the attendees were eager to get involved, write letters to the editor and op-eds, and endorse CCATDP.
Conservatives Concerned in the media
Following the events in Oklahoma, the media was eager to cover CCATDP and our allies.
• The AP reported on one of our press conferences, and more than a dozen outlets reprinted the piece.
Tulsa World, Red Dirt Report, Enid News, Fox 23, ABC Channel 8, NBC Channel 2, and News on 6 also covered the press conferences.
• We additionally enjoyed mentions in the Edmond Sun, the Oklahoman, and another Tulsa World article.
• The media outside of Oklahoma was likewise interested in CCATDP. We were included in articles in the Hill, Georgia’s Newnan Times-Herald, and I penned an op-ed describing why New Mexico shouldn’t attempt to revive the death penalty.
Upcoming
CCATDP will return to the State Policy Network’s annual conference for the third year in a row. This year it will be in Nashville. If you’re in the area from October 3-6, then by all means, please drop by and say hello!
Share your concerns
Late last month, a video featuring two CCATDP supporters, Pat Monks and Ron Briggs, was released. It’s entitled “A Conservative Concern,” and it aims to explain why conservatives are increasingly opposing the death penalty. Please help us get the word out about this video and consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook by clicking herewww.conservativesconcerned.org