KCADP Board Meeting
June 8, 2015
6:30 pm.
Present: Members - Ray Schweri, Maria Hines, Pat Delahanty, Kaye Gallagher, Ben
Griffith, Kate Miller, Patsey Jacobs and guest Doris, Richard Mitchell, Chris Beckett
Zach Everson on speakerphone, Staff - Shekinah Lavelle; Guests- Aaron Bently,
Brad Castleberry;
1. Introductions. We spent a brief time going around the table with introductions.
2. Minutes from March Meeting. Minutes were approved as written.
3. Treasurer’s Report. Kaye reported that beginning balance for the 1* Quarter
was $83,026.22 and ending balance was $74,215.17. Income for the period was
$13,832.93 and expenses were $22,643.98. She overviewed some of the numbers.
Overall our financial condition is in excellent shape. Balance as of this meeting date
was $87,843.06.
4. New Board Member Additions. Pat introduced Aaron Bentley and Brad
Castleberry to us and informed the Board that they both are being brought forward
for nomination to the Board. Aaron explained his association with Stephanie
Wurdock as a practicing lawyer. Although he doesn’t work on death penalty cases,
he has been anti-death penalty for many years and is interested in working for its
abolition. Brad explained his interest began in the late 60’s and early 70’s working
for the Kentucky Prisoner Support Council. Not only was the Council a prisoner
advocacy group but it worked against the death penalty. Though funding for the
Council ended his work, he has always been interested in working against the death
penalty. Now retired, Brad is ready to volunteer a number of working hours each
week for KCADP. Pat noted that after Kentucky executed Harold McQueen in 1997,
Brad quit State Government in protest and has been a long time supporter of
KCADP.
The Board entertained a motion to accept the nominations of both Aaron Bentley
and Brad Castleberry to the KCADP Board of Directors. The motion passed joyously
and unanimously.
5. Election of Officers. We discussed our slate of officers for the next year. All
serving officers were asked if they wished to continue in their present positions. All
agreed. A motion was made and approved to elect the following slate of officers:
Chair- Pat Delehanty
Vice Chair- Kate Miller
Treasurer- Kaye Gallagher
Secretary- Ben Griffith
6. Funding and Grant Update. Pat presented the report. He said the Tides
Foundation sent a representative to Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky to talk to each state
organization working for abolition. In discussion with Pat, the Tides rep explained
that the main reason Kentucky was only awarded $10,000 last year was because we
had too much money (!). They agreed that at the present time, Kentucky was still in
good financial shape and other organizations might need the scarce resources.
However Tides is very interested in Kentucky and appreciates the work KCADP is
doing. To this end, they will try to set aside $5,000 for a possible challenge grant in
September. The agreed goal between the Tides rep and Pat was to make sure our
finances were adequate to get KCADP through the 2016 legislative session.
Another challenge grant is almost ready to mail out. It is a $1,000 matching grant
issued by Susie Post. Finally, Sister Helen Prejean is coming back to Kentucky
November 9-11 and there is some effort to organize a couple fundraisers with the
Sister. Last year a small meet and greet dinner with $1,000 per plate invitations
netted a sizeable return.
The Tides Foundation secured funding to bring 32 state abolition leaders (one from
each state), some national leaders and staff from the Eighth Amendment Project,
which is working to get a case to be heard before the Supreme Court that concerns
the 8 amendment cruel and unusual punishment prohibition.
7. Outreach Coordinator Report. Shekinah reported. She has helped organize a
few festival tables to help us build our database of supporters. There is an effort to
find good festivals out in the state (other than Louisville or Lexington) where a table
might bring some new base. She has approached Minnie Atkins Day in Sandy Hook,
Horse Cave Festival, Lexington Roots and Heritage (she will coordinate with Richard
Mitchell to try to help staff table), and a couple of other festivals. In addition, we will
be doing the state fair again with different coalition partners acting as day sponsors
to staff the booth. The Young Americans for Liberty, a conservative libertarian
group, will be a new day sponsor. Shekinah will be using web-based sign up sheets
for these volunteer opportunities and Board members are encouraged to share
these links with appropriate people who might be close by to events in far away
places.
8. Witness to Innocence. Shekinah is now the point person for organizing Witness
to Innocence Tours in Kentucky. She told us that the next tour will happen October
22-29 and it will bring Kirk Bloodsworth into the state. The exact funding between
the Innocence office and ACLU is yet to be determined. The tour schedule should be
available by our next Board Meeting. We were encouraged to watch for the
schedule and attend one of these events. Another tour is in initial planning stage
and will occur during the next legislative session. Also, there is work on planning a
one-time event with Ray Krone. As an aside, Shekinah noted that Witness folks
really appreciate working with KCADP and KY ACLU. We are a favorite place to
come!
9. Legislative Update. Pat brought us up to date with some of the recent
developments. Over the next 5 months, the working group of Shekinah, Pat, and
Kate has set a goal of 4 legislative visits per month. They are trying to further fill in
the positions of legislators for whom we do not yet have that information. This is
often best done by identifying constituents that are willing to go talk with these
legislators. He noted that the Prolife and Social Concerns Committee of the Catholic
Conference is also committed to help do some of this legislative work. Board
members are always encouraged to go talk with your legislators- thank them if they
are supporting abolition, or work with them if they are not ready to publicly support
abolition. Pat, Shekinah, and Kate are willing to provide support and they really
would like to have reports of all visits. This helps to create a better database of
support and possible ways to approach different legislators as bills begin to gain
traction.
10. Sister Helen Visit. As stated earlier, she will be coming Nov 9 through 11. Pat
has been trying to organize some fundraisers in other areas besides Louisville.
There are a few feelers out in Lexington. It would be nice to see an event in
Northern Kentucky.
11. Eighth Amendment Group. Mentioned earlier in the funding report, the group
is really developing a coordinated strategy for building a case to bring forward to
the Supreme Court. Pat continues to be impressed at the group’s ability to focus on
statistical analysis and strategy.
We ended our meeting at 7:58pm as Doris the four-legged made the motion to
adjourn. All agreed.
Our next meeting is scheduled for September 14, 2015 @ the offices of the
Catholic Conference of Kentucky in Frankfort.
Respectfully submitted, Ben Griffith, Secretary
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