May 06, 2009 05:54 AM UTC

URGENT: Not too late to repeal the death penalty in Colorado?

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• by: Alan

We were all disappointed by news yesterday that House Bill 1274, the bill to repeal Colorado’s death penalty and shift resulting savings to cold case criminal investigations, had been effectively gutted in a surprise move by a few Senators.

But contrary to what you may have read, there is one more chance to fix House Bill 1274 and repeal the death penalty: Wednesday morning there will be a conference between the House and Senate to reconcile their two respective versions of the bill. Remember, the House passed a death penalty repeal, not a diversionary substitute bill! The conference committee can revert the bill to the House version or something close, and send it back to both chambers for another vote.

It all comes down to tomorrow, the last day of the legislative session. Can you call key representatives and Senators–either right now or early tomorrow morning–and tell them you want House Bill 1274 passed in its original form?

Senator John Morse: 303-866-6364

Senator Brandon Shaffer: 303-866-5291

Senator Dan Gibbs: 303-866-4873

Representative Ed Vigil: 303-866-2916

Representative Karen Middleton: 303-866-3911

Representative Beth McCann: 303-866-2959

Representative Lois Court: 303-866-2967

Representative Sue Schafer: 303-866-5522 

Representative Ed Casso: 303-866-2964

You can call your own legislator or others, too–visit www.leg.state.co.us for a phone directory. 

Also please take a moment now or in the next few days to thank Rep. Don Marostica (R) for his vote for House Bill 1274 earlier this session. Call him at 303-866-2947.

With the legislative session required by law to end tomorrow, legislators are hard-pressed to get through all the remaining legislation on the calendar. Please be respectful of these hardworking representatives, and their staff if you reach one of them instead. Feel free to call this evening, right now if you like, they’re working late tonight and are in early Wednesday morning. Leave a detailed message if no one can take your call.

Friends, whether we ultimately win or lose in this particular fight, I want to tell you that I am enormously proud of the thousands of phone calls and emails our members have sent in support of repealing the death penalty in Colorado this year. It has been a privilege just to watch you all take action. You’re a credit not just to our great state, but to the progressive wisdom that’s slowly changing our country. Thank you.