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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Death Penalty -- Further Action Needed on HB1812 |
Current rating: 0 |
by Jen Roth
Email: j-roth (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!) |
17 May 2001
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An alert about HB1812, pending legislation in Illinois to expand the death penalty by adding a 21st reason to consider imposing the death penalty. |
From Dcdobmeyer (at) aol.com Wed May 16 23:05:32 2001
Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 23:17:37 EDT
From: Dcdobmeyer (at) aol.com
To: Dcdobmeyer (at) aol.com
Subject: V - Further Action Needed on HB1812 in the House
Dear Friend:
Sr. Helen Prejean has shared a list of Moratorium 2000 petitions from Illinois with the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Sr. Prejean and ICADP share a common belief that the death penalty is a form of punishment not needed in Illinois or elsewhere.
I am sending you an alert about HB1812, pending legislation in Illinois to expand the death penalty by adding a 21st reason to consider imposing the death penalty.
I hope you will take the time to call your representative and file your opposition to the bill. The bill is explained in the body of this e-mail. A previous House vote of March 30 is at the end of the e-mail.
One more note. The bill is on concurrence and scheduled to be voted on by the end of the spring session, now set for May 25. If you have received this alert from other sources my apologies. A report on any contact with House members would be appreciated to this e-mail.
We welcome your participation in the work of the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. This is a historic moment in Illinois and your voice can make a difference. Please e-mail me for further information on how you can get involved.
On Tuesday HB1812 passed the Illinois Senate on a vote of 44 (yes), 9 (no), 5 (present) and 1 (absent). The bill now goes back to the House for concurrence on the amended bill. The House has until the end of the session to concur. The end is currently scheduled for May 25 - but may go longer.
The bill is now posted and could be called anytime.
The following article from City News USA\'s web wire describes the substance of the ammended bill and the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty\'s opposition.
Anti Death Penalty Group Opposes HB 1812
CHICAGO, IL May 16, 2001 (CN)--The Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty has expressed disappointment in the Illinois Senate\'s approval yesterday of a measure (House Bill 1812) that would expand the death penalty in Illinois to include first degree murder in \"furtherance of a gang activity\" as a new eligibility factor for death. Jane Bohman, Program Director of the Chicago-based organization stated, \"At a time when Illinois Governor George Ryan has halted the death penalty based on egregious errors and injustices in the system that led to wrongful death sentences of at least 13 men, this attempt to expand the death penalty must be considered ill-advised at best, and cynical politics at worst.\"
The Coalition also expressed concern that House Bill 1812 will also inevitably be used against minority defendants in greater proportion than whites. In addition, the Coalition noted that the legislature is acting to expand the death penalty at a time when the public is going in the opposite direction. The Coalition will be urging members of the House of Representatives to vote \"no\" on the concurrence vote for the bill
The Senate No and Present votes were the following:
NO: Hendon, Emil Jones (Dem Leader), Lightford, Link, Obama, Ronen, Shaw, Trotter and Lisa Madigan.
PRESENT: Cullerton, Del Valle, Molaro, Margaret Smith and Silverstein.
Action Needed and Further Plans
Please do the following regarding HB1812:
- If your senator was listed above, call the person and thank them for their no or present vote;
- Call your House Representaive and urge the person to vote NO or PRESENT on the concurrance vote. If you know the person and they are strongly opposed ask him or her to talk with other members to build opposition.
The 3/30 roll call in the House follows. If you rep voted no or present ask the person to do again. If they say, the Senate fixed the constitutionality issue, remind them any new law like this will be tested in court, it will unfairly target minorities and is politically premature of the Governor\'s capital punishment commission\'s yet unwritten report.
If your rep voted yes review the arguments opposing with that person.
- Ask several of your friends, co-workers, influential types to call also. If reps receive five calls from constituents that may shift the vote.
- We don\'t know when the bill will be called, so please do this ASAP;
- Any questions, hand holding please call Jane, Johanna or Doug at 312/349-2279; and
- Pls report to myself by e-mail (dcdobmeyer (at) aol.com) what the response and numbers of calls to the individual legislator.
NOTE: Anyone in Doug Scott\'s district in Rockford - he\'s resigned to become mayor of Rockford.
Doug Dobmeyer
Executive Director
Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty
312/849-2279
Roll Call on HB 1812, 3/30/01
Yeas: 77
Dems: 27
Acevedo
Boland
Bradley
Brosnahan
Brunsvold
Bugielski
Capparelli
Crotty
Curry
Dart
Steve Davis
Forby
Fowler
Franks
Hannig
Hartke
Hoffman
Holbrook
Lyon,Joe
Mautino
McCarthy
McGuire
Mendoza
Reitz
Scott
Slone
Smith
Repubs: 50
Bassi
Beaubien
Berns
Biggins
Brady
Bost
Coulson
Cowlishaw
Cross
Daniels
Durkin
Hassert
Hoeft
Hultgren
John Jones
Klingler
Kosel
Krause
Kurtz
Lawfer
Leitch
Mathias
McAuliffe
Meyer
Mitchell,Bill
Mitchell, Jerry
Moffitt
Moore
Mulligan
Myers
O\'Connor
Osmond
Pankau
Parke
Persico
Poe
Righter
Rutherford
Ryder
Saviano
Schmitz
Sommer
Tenhouse
Turner, John
Wait
Winkel
Winters
Wirsing
Wojcik
Zickus
Nays: 31
Dems: 28
Collins
Currie
Davis, Monique
Delgado
Erwin Feigenholtz
Flowers
Fritchey
Garrett
Giles
Hamos
Howard
Jones, Lou
Jones,Shirley
Kenner
May
McKeon
Miller
Morrow
Murphy
Ryan
Schoenberg
Soto
Stroger
Turner, Art
Yarbrough
Younge
Mr.Speaker
Repubs: 3 Bellock, Johnson, Tom, Lyons, Eileen
Present: 8
Dems: 7
Burke, Granberg, Lang, Novak, O\'Brien, Osterman, Scully
Repubs: 1 Lindner
Excused/not voting: 2
Repubs: 2 Black, Stephens |
