Constitutional Law

Act Now! Push Death Penalty Repeal in Illinois Past the Finish Line

By Ed Yohnka, ACLU of Illinois

Randy Steidl is one of 20 men who've been exonerated and released from Illinois' death row in recent years. Last Tuesday, he and I sat just a few feet apart when the Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 3539 — repealing the state's irretrievably broken death penalty system.

The Senate vote on Tuesday was a result of a lot of hard work and advocacy by Illinois ACLU members and the general public--every email, every visit with a legislator, every phone call contributed to this legislative victory.

Now, your voice can make the difference in shutting down Illinois' broken death penalty for good. Push this win past the finish line: Tell Illinois Governor Quinn to sign Senate Bill 3539 into law.

Join us by signing this statement of support. Then, send it to your friends: Help us gather signatures from 50,000 members and supporters all across the country. We'll deliver this statement of support to his office next week.

Last week, as I witnessed the State Senate pass this milestone for justice and the rule of law, I have never been so proud to be part of the ACLU, so proud of our work and so proud of our supporters. Help us achieve a victory for justice in Illinois — and across the country.

With your help, we can finish the job and make history.

Full post as published by Blog of Rights on January 20, 2011 (boomark / email).