KCADP
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Why do we ill people
who kill people
to show that killing
people Is wrong.
NEWSLETTER NO. 18 SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE ISSUE
JANUARY 1994
General Assembly Begins New Session
New Faces, New Bills, New Challenges
Members of the Kentucky General Assembly
hustled into Frankfort the first week of January. Since
they last convened in the regular 1992 session, a series
of events have led to the disappearance of several
familiar faces and the arrival of not a few new members.
KCADP members across the State need to meet
their new Representatives and State Senators since
several bills related to the death penalty are already
floating around the Capitol halls. Most legislators, like
those they represent, give the standard knee-jerk answer
to support for the death penalty when asked their
position on the issue. Not much thought is given to cost,
execution of the innocent, racial bias in capital sentenc-
ing, abuse of the defendant during childhood, etc.
Members and the organization itself must help them
by providing valuable, honest, and accurate information.
With reliable data, they can form opinions and cast
votes that may promote real justice and provide a better
response to violent crime than that now available.
Ethics legislation helpful to KCADP
The BOPTROT investigation of illegal activity by
several legislators led, not only to guilty pleas and
prison, but also to the passage of important ethics
legislation governing how lobbyists and legislators relate
to one another. While this is good law — still in the
process of being understood — it has frightened some
people and confused others. In reality it helps us
because réports indicate the Annex (offices) hallways
are nearly empty of former highly paid lobbyists. Now
the little guys might get a chance to visit legislators.
KCADP members should not balk at contacting
legislators. This organization is entirely voluntary and no
one is paid to influence the passage or defeat of
legislation. That being the case means that you need not
Tegister as a lobbyist or keep records of any expense
you incur when contacting your Representative or State
Senator.
How to stay in touch varies
As one might suspect, each legislator has particular
preferences about how to be contacted. Some prefer
written material, others like the face-to-face contact.
Many host “town meetings” during the weeks they are in
session. Be on the lookout for signs and other ads
announcing these meetings. Take advantage of evenings
and weekends to contact them when they are not in
Frankfort. Ail really welcome the opportunity to meet
constituents and discuss issues.
Some object to phone cails during the session,
because this consumes their time. Personal letters, not
form letters, have far more influence, especially if from
a constituent. Give your phone number because the
legislator might need to reach you for more information.
Tf there is not time to write about a particular bill,
you can reach a legislator through the MESSAGE
LINE, a toll free number answered between 8 am and
7 pm EST: 1-800-372-7181. Phone operators ask for
your name and address (legislators look at the address
to see if you are a constituent or not; many non-
constituent notes are stored immediately in circular file
13), the name or number of the bill and a brief message
why you are for or against it.
Another excellent way to meet your legislator is to
visit Frankfort during the session. If he or she is on a
committee related to legislation that interests you, you
might want to attend a committee meeting. To find out
what committees are meeting on a particular day, you
may call another toll free number — 1-800-633-9650 —
and receive this information.
Keeping up with legislation is not always easy when
the process begins to move quickly, especially as the 60
day session nears an end. Reading newspapers is NAME & TEE DISTRICT
helpful, as is calling a special bill-status, toll free phone PARTY
number — 1-800-592-4557 — which is open from 8 am .
until 7 pm EST. Tim Philpot (R) Member 12
Landon Sexton (R) Member 34
David Williams (R) Member 16
Judiciary Committee members important
House Judiciary Members
Most legislation of interest to KCADP must first be
yoted on in both the Senate and the House Judiciary
committees. If legislator(s) from your area sit on one of
fhese committees, then his or her vote is doubly
important. A constituent can have a good deal of
influence upon a committee member. Past experience
indicates that the Attorney General, Commonwealth
Attorneys, Judges and other special interests exert a
great deal of pressure on committee members.
Louis Johnson (D) _ Chair 13
Charles Geveden (D) Vice Chair 1
Thomas Kerr (D) Vice Chair 64
Stan Cave (R) Vice Chair 45
Mike Bowling (D) | Member 87
Jesse Crenshaw (D) Member ithe
Herbie Deskins (D) Member 94
Richard Lewis (D) Member 6
Gross Lindsay (D) | Member 11
Frank Rasche (D) | Member 3
Senate Judiciary Members Steven Riggs (D) Meniher 31
Dave Stengel (D) Member 29
B DISTR:
ce 13h Sree Jon Ackerson (R) Member a7
Jeffrey Buis (R) Member 52
A . Danny Ford (R) Member 80
Kelsey Friend (D) Chair 31 ye Ors
Charles Berger (D) Vice Chair 17 Bob diclerinpen (Se Member Sh
fey ae a ue 2 Others may have been added or some deleted since this
Michael Moloney (D) Member 13 list appeared in the Legislative Record.
Please check your mailing label. If there is no date or
Lethal injection proposed y 8
Tn rege See Te the label ends with /93, please support the Coalition by
Maggard pre-filed legislation changing sending your label with $10 to the address listed below.
the method of killing prisoners from
clettrocutfon to lethal jection. This bill Your help makes Kentucky a better place to LIVE.
was sent to the interim Judiciary com-
mittee where it remained.
KCADP obviously opposes all KENTUCKY COALITION ‘Non-Profit Org.
forms of killing human beings and would TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY UsS. Postage
not support this legislation. The Catholic 2911 SOUTH 4TH STREET ‘PAID:
Conference of Kentucky is alsoopposed © LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40208 Eoulsvales
aS s Permit No. 110
to this legislation and sees it as another oe
attempt to make killing prisoners
acceptable to the general public.
KCADP does not know why Mr. The Legislative Research Commission received a report in October 1993 concluding that racial
Maggard introduced the bill, Usually, #* Plays a major role in selecting defendants for execation. Will legislators let this continue?
. >
supporters of this type of legislation
argue that it is a more: humane method
of killing. This camouflages the fact that
there is no humane method of execu-
tion. It matters not at all how one kills,
once a sentence of death is imposed.
From that moment the torture begins;
how it is ended is of little consequence.
