Oregon

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber is urging state lawmakers to send voters a measure to ban capital punishment. But in a meeting with reporters Tuesday, legislative leaders showed little enthusiasm for taking up the hot button issue.

When Gov. John Kitzhaber declared a year ago that he would block any executions as long as he's governor, he also challenged legislators to help turn the moratorium into law. "I am calling on the Legislature to bring potential reforms before the 2013 legislative session and encourage all Oregonians to engage in the long overdue debate that this important issue deserves," he said.

Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (OADP) is expressing disappointment with the decision of State Senior Judge Timothy P. Alexander in the latest round of Gary Haugen hearings. We feel that the Governor is totally within his right to declare a moratorium on executions. And, we believe that this decision will be overturned upon appeal.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

In April, Connecticut became the fifth state in five years to abolish the death penalty. In Oregon this past December, Gov. John Kitzhaber placed a moratorium on all executions, citing his refusal “to be a part of this compromised and inequitable system any longer.”

That public response to Kitzhaber’s action has been relatively mute perhaps indicates that the time has come for Oregon to join Connecticut and 16 other states in abolishing capital punishment.

On April 12, 2012, the Connecticut legislature replaced its death penalty with life in prison with no possibility of release. When Governor Daniel Malloy signs the bill into law, Connecticut will be the 17th state and the fifth in recent years to replace the death penalty with an alternative punishment that ensures both the safety of its citizens, but also guarantees that no innocent person will be executed.