April 10, 2020
Dear <first name>,
These are challenging times with economic hardship, social
isolation, and uncertainty about the future in the wake of the
COVID-19 virus pandemic. But there is good news to share!
VADP and its partners were on a roll leading up to the 2020
Virginia legislative session:
*A press event featuring 13 Virginia murder victim family
members who called for abolition of the death penalty;
“A Washington Post op-ed by one of those victim family members
urging an end to capital punishment;
«A Richmond Times-Dispatch front-page op-ed by a Virginia man
wrongfully convicted of capital murder; and
“A letter by 21 prosecutors endorsing death penalty abolition.
In January and February, before COVID-19 caused a halt to most
public meetings, Field Director spoke to 225 people in 11 groups,
signing up 106 new VADP members. This focused and strategic field
work has been essential to our progress in the past two years.
The legislative session got off to great start with a big
victory in the Senate. A bill to exempt those with severe mental
illness from execution passed by an overwhelming 32-7 margin.
In the floor debate, conservative state Senator Bill Stanley
(R - Moneta) said: “We do not have the power our Creator has to
take life. We do not have the ability, morally, legally or
otherwise.”
He went on to promise that he would vote for complete
abolition of the death penalty, the first time any current
Republican state legislator voiced public opposition to capital
punishment!
A few weeks later Rachel Sutphin, the daughter of a Montgomery
County sheriff’s deputy shot to death in 2006 by Will Morva (the
last person executed in Virginia), testified at a Senate Judiciary
Committee hearing, urging lawmakers to end capital punishment.
Regrettably, this Senate committee voted to defer
consideration of the abolition bill until the 2021 legislative
session.
Leadership of the House Courts of Justice Committee then
decided to defer both the SMI exemption and death penalty
abolition bills. Neither was granted a hearing.
VADP was told privately by House and Senate leaders that death
penalty abolition would be debated and passed next year.
While the end result was disappointing, our experience this
year has convinced us that we have enough votes to pass abolition
in both the House and Senate. And we have a Governor who has
pledged to sign an abolition bill if it reaches his desk.
VADP knows talk is cheap from politicians. We need to keep up
our grassroots organizing and maintain our media work.
We face the challenge of replacing $35,000 in two grants that
have funded our Field Director position for the past 24% years. We
are no longer eligible for funding from those sources. VADP is
asking other foundations to replace at least part of this funding.
But individual giving essential to maintain our work. Good
people like you contribute about 2/3 of our funding in the past
two years with the rest coming from foundations and churches.
Please contribute as much as you can to ensure that VADP has
the resources we need to push hard for an end to capital
punishment in Virginia next year.
Any amount - $10, $25, $50, or $100 — will help us in our
abolition work.
To abolish the death penalty in Virginia, we need your generous
tax-deductible contribution to VADP using the enclosed form and
envelope. (You can also give with your credit or debit card at
our secure web site: www.vadp.org “Donate”. )
With your support, we will _make Virginia the first southern
state to abolish the death penalty!
Sincerely,
Michael E. Stone
Executive Director
