Today’s Action:
Call State House Speaker Frank Chopp and ask him to bring SB 6052 to the House floor before today’s 5PM deadline.
Don’t forget to fill out our call log so that we can track our impact:
In February, our State Senate passed a bill to repeal the death penalty in Washington State. That bill, SB 6052, is in the hands of Speaker Frank Chopp, and he has until 5:00 today to bring it to the House floor for a vote. If it comes to the floor, it is likely to pass, and Governor Inslee will sign it. We are so close to abolishing the death penalty in our state. Let’s push this over the line!
If he doesn’t act TODAY, then the bill just expires at the end of this year’s legislative session.
Democrats have a razor-thin majority in both chambers of our state legislature, and Speaker Chopp needs to be convinced that voters will keep Democrats in the majority if we repeal the death penalty. He’ll make his decision based in part on the level of support this bill gets from constituents, and that means phone calls, emails, and letters.
Ending the death penalty is the morally right move, plus statewide polling says that 70% of voters would be either more likely to vote for a legislator who voted to end capital punishment, or that it would make no difference in deciding their vote.
This is a real opportunity for progressives to tip the scales in favor of repealing the death penalty, and an opportunity to show our Democratic elected officials that bold leadership gets rewarded.
You can reach Speaker Chopp’s office in Olympia at 360-786-7920.
All Washington state voters should feel welcome to reach out to Speaker Chopp. He is the Speaker for all of the residents of this state.
Sample Script
Hi, my name is {NAME} and I’m calling from {CITY, ZIP} about the death penalty. I want Speaker Chopp to bring SB 6052 to the floor for a vote TODAY, before the legislative session ends. It is expected to pass the House in a vote, has already passed the Senate, and is supported by the Governor. We just need Speaker Chopp to do his part. I think the death penalty should be abolished because {REASON}. Thank you for your time.
Reasons
- The death penalty is applied in a racially biased manner. People of color are far more likely to be executed than white people, especially if the victim is white.
- The death penalty is a waste of taxpayer funds and has no public safety benefit. The vast majority of law enforcement professionals surveyed agree that capital punishment does not deter violent crime.
- Innocent people are too often sentenced to death.
- {YOUR REASON HERE}
Background
ACLU – The Case Against the Death Penalty: https://www.aclu.org/other/case-against-death-penalty
Washington Senate passes bill to abolish death penalty: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-senate-passes-bill-to-abolish-death-penalty/
Good news
Seattle School Board passes resolution against arming teachers: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/arming-teachers-is-a-misguided-suggestion-seattle-school-board-says-in-resolution/
