State legislatures across the United States are gearing up for session, and more and more of them are considering death penalty repeal bills. Republicans have sponsored such legislation in Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Wyoming, Montana, and Missouri. Other states are also looking into measures to end capital punishment. While some states are contemplating replacing the death penalty with life without the possibility of parole, other states are attempting to tinker with the broken capital punishment system. One such state was Idaho. The Gem State was prepared to evaluate a measure that would have made the source of their death penalty drugs a secret. This, of course, would be a clear violation of transparency in government that conservatives demand. The Idaho legislature agreed and halted the bill from proceeding to a vote. In more somber news, the State of Georgia recently executed a man who was regarded to be intellectually disabled. Warren Lee Hill was convicted and executed, and while his guilt was not in doubt, multiple medical professionals have claimed that he was mentally disabled. They stated that he had the mental capacity of an 11 year-old. His lawyers claimed that his exec

Chase Blasi, Colwich, Kansas City Councilman, recently penned an article in the Wichita Eagle advocating for Kansas to take initiative and repeal the death penalty. Blasi attended CPAC with CCATDP and continues to raise awareness about the failures of the death penalty system. In his article, Blasi said, “If we, as conservatives, are serious about cutting costs and promoting a culture of life, then our position on the death penalty is a no-brainer. Repeal it.”

Our momentum is still growing fresh off of our successful launch at CPAC in March. Conservatives everywhere are increasingly becoming aware that the death penalty does not align with conservative principles – with the latest evidence coming out of Nebraska. Last week lawmakers in the unicameral legislature debated a bill to repeal the death penalty. A filibuster ultimately blocked a final vote on the bill, but two test votes indicated that a majority would have voted to pass it. Last time Nebraska voted on the death penalty, only a quarter of the unicameral voted yes – so last week’s votes were a sharp turnaround. Legislators are energized and ready to take this effort up again when the legislature reconvenes next session. We were pleased to get a mention in the Lincoln Journal-Star, whose editorial board wrote, “Republicans in the Legislature should take note. They can vote for repeal of the death penalty without turning in their conservative credentials.” They aren’t kidding, as evidenced by the warm welcome we got at the Kansas Young Americans for Liberty State Convention and the Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention earlier this month. Each of these conferences provided

US News and World Report published an article detailing Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty’s success at CPAC and the strong conservative support for repealing the death penalty. Journalist, Elizabeth Flock states, For years, those who supported the death penalty largely skewed conservative. She went on to say, But that stereotype no longer holds true. The article pointed to conservative grassroots activists and leaders who are now open to repealing the death penalty, such as Jay Sekulow and Governor Sam Brownback.

About Us Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty is a network of political and social conservatives who question the alignment of capital punishment with conservative principles and values. We come to this issue for a variety of reasons: Some of us believe that small government and the death penalty don’t go together, especially when we compare the high costs of capital punishment to life without possibility of release. Some of us don’t trust the state to get it right. We already know that some innocent people have been sentenced to death, and for others it may already be too late. Some of us are disturbed by the roller coaster for family members of murder victims, or wonder why we’re investing so much in a system that doesn’t keep us any safer than the alternatives. Some of us believe that the death penalty contradicts our values about protecting life. And for many other reasons… Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty traces its roots to Montana, where conservative Montana lawmakers and Republican party officials came together to call for an end to capital punishment, citing exorbitant costs. Their ranks continued to grow, including current