[PAA-Discuss] Update on SB 377; Call Your Senator Today!

Tue Mar 29 08:45:32 EDT 2011

remember, you can call locally, but *please* call at:

Senator Kay  Bailey Hutchison

713-653-3456

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn

Tel:  713-572-3337

Thank you for taking action during the  current legislative session. We are 
writing with an update  and call for action on Senate Bill 377 (House Bill 
1065), which  would expand the death penalty in Texas by treating  more 
murders as capital offenses.

Update  on HB 819 

If you can’t make it to  Austin to attend the March 29 committee  hearing 
on House Bill 819, you may be able to watch the  proceedings online. Go to 
_http://www.capitol.state.tx.us_ 
(https://tcadp.ejusadb.org/sites/tcadp.ejusadb.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6675&qid=245927) . In  the box “
Legislative Activity” on the right, go to Video  Broadcasts: House. Scroll down 
until you see Committee  on Criminal Jurisprudence and click on “Watch  Now.”
 We’ll have a post-hearing action for you  soon!

SB 377, authored by State Senators Joan  Huffman and Dan Patrick, received 
a hearing on March 22 from the  Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Despite 
compelling  testimony against the bill and calls from concerned citizens  
throughout Texas, the committee passed it on a vote  of six to one. SB 377 
makes the murder of a child who is less  than 10 years of age a capital offense 
eligible for the death  penalty.   The current capital statute applies to 
the  murder of children under age six.

We abhor violent acts against children of  any age and are mindful of the 
devastation that murder inflicts on  families who suffer such an 
inconceivable loss. We believe it  is wrong for the State of Texas to expand the reach 
of the death  penalty at a time when Texans are turning away from its use, 
when  victims’ family members are speaking out about the toll the  process 
takes on them, when new evidence of the flaws and failures  of our capital 
punishment system continues to come to light, and  when other states across the 
nation are moving away from  it.

The full Senate may consider this bill any  time.  If it passes the Senate, 
it will move over to the  House of Representatives for  consideration.

Take Action to Oppose SB  377

Please call your State Senator and urge  him/her to oppose SB 377. Tell the 
person who answers the  phone that you would like to leave a message with 
the staff person  who works with your Senator on criminal justice issues.  
[Go  to _http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/_ 
(https://tcadp.ejusadb.org/sites/tcadp.ejusadb.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6675&qid=245927)  to find  
your Senator.  On the home page, go to the "Who Represents  Me?" box and 
enter your street address and zip  code.]

Here are some brief  talking points:
    *   I am a constituent in Senator ___’s  district.   
    *   I am calling to urge him/her to vote  “NO” on Senate Bill 377, 
which passed the Criminal Justice  Committee on March 28. This bill would 
expand the reach of  the death penalty in Texas.  
    *   I abhor violent acts against children of  any age. I believe Texas 
has the ways and  means to punish those who are truly guilty of these 
heinous  crimes and protect society without creating more capital  offenses that 
could lead to the death penalty.  
    *   Rather than expanding the reach of the  death penalty, we should be 
talking about moving away from its  use. 

If you learn any useful information from  your conversations with these 
offices, or want to provide TCADP  with a record of your phone call, please 
fill out the _Legislator  Tracking Sheet_ 
(https://tcadp.ejusadb.org/sites/tcadp.ejusadb.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6676&qid=245927)  online.

Thank you for taking action! Stay  tuned to TCADP for updates.

All best wishes,

Kristin 
_Spread  the word!_ 
(https://tcadp.ejusadb.org/index.php?q=civicrm/mailing/forward&reset=1&jid=985&qid=245927&h=ee6f134f537ea34e)  Forward this email 
to a friend. 
Support  our work today! _Donate  online._ 
(https://tcadp.ejusadb.org/sites/tcadp.ejusadb.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6677&qid=245927)  
This  email was sent from 
2709  South Lamar Blvd
Austin,  TX  78704
United  States
(512)  441-1808 
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