Thank you!

Yesterday was a wonderful day for me and for everyone else who hopes that state killing will eventually be abolished in the US:

Gov. Bill Richardson, who has supported capital punishment, signed legislation to repeal New Mexico's death penalty, calling it the "most difficult decision in my political life."

The new law replaces lethal injection with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The repeal takes effect on July 1, and applies only to crimes committed after that date.

"Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty, I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime," Richardson said.

Europe's human rights watchdog on Thursday hailed the decision as "a victory for civilization." The American Civil Liberties Union called it "a historic step and a clear sign that the United States continues to make significant progress toward eradicating capital punishment once and for all."

AP.

I wrote about this on several occasions, and I requested repeatedly in those essays that you call the Governor and urge him to sign the bill. It is especially for all of those phone calls to the Governor and your emails to him that I want to thank you. This is a great victory. And, truthfully, it would not have happened without your support. I applaud you!

I know that one abolitionist friend today is joyfully wearing a t-shirt that says, "Someday happens."

For the record: New Mexico became the second state, after New Jersey, to repeal the death penalty legislatively since 1965, when both Iowa and West Virginia repealed their death penalty laws. New York’s death penalty was struck down as unconstitutional, and it has not been re-enacted. Twelve other states never had the death penalty: they either outlawed it before 1965, or after 1972 after Furman v. Georgia struck down all death penalty laws, they never enacted a new one. Fifteen states, including New Mexico, now do not have the death penalty. Thirty-five states, the military and the U.S. federal government retain it.

Thanks! Let's do this again soon!!

h/t Abe Bonowitz

Last Chance To Ask Bill Richardson To Sign For Death Penalty Abolition

Today, Monday, is the last chance to call Governor Richardson at (505)476-2225 and ask him to sign the NM Death Penalty Abolition Bill that passed the legislature this past Friday.

Details about all of this is here.

No time for details? The shortest version: please call Governor Richardson at (505) 476-2225 and ask him please to sign the Death Penalty Abolition Bill. This will take only seconds, and it's terribly important to the cause of abolishing state killing.

Thanks for making the call.

Please Ask Gov. Richardson To Sign The Death Penalty Abolition Bill

This morning, I re-wrote my dailyKos diary from yesterday, put it up, and again asked people please to call New Mexico Governor Richardson and to ask him to sign the Death Penalty Abolition Bill. Here's what I wrote:

I posted this diary yesterday. I'm posting it again today because Governor Richardson is taking comments on the New Mexico Death Penalty Abolition Bill until Monday evening.

Friday, I wrote that the New Mexico legislature passed a bill calling for the abolition of that state's death penalty. The bill (pdf) has been sent to Governor Richardson for his signature. That's where you, my fellow Kossacks, come in. We all need to call the Governor and ask him to sign the bill.

Governor Richardson has formerly supported the death penalty, but he says he has not made up his mind about this bill:

Richardson, a second-term Democrat, has opposed repeal in the past but now says he would consider signing it.

"I haven't made a final decision," the governor said this week.

I want you, fellow Kossacks, to help him make his final decision, a decision to sign the abolition bill.

You can make a lasting contribution to the abolition of the death penalty in New Mexico and ultimately in the entire US, by making a single telephone call to New Mexico Governor Richardson and asking him courteously to sign the death penalty abolition bill. Just ask that he sign the bill. Here's the number: (505) 476-2225. The number will record your request. There is no human being on the phone, just a recorder.

Please spend 30 seconds making this call and make this request.

The logic for this is clear. The more calls the Governor receives, the more he understands that there is enormous support for him and for abolition and for his signing the bill. Huge support for signing makes it more likely that the Governor will sign the bill.

It's unbelievably simple what is needed. But it requires you, dear Kossacks, to take action, to make the call, to spend 30 seconds.

Please make this call. Please bring abolition of the death penalty to New Mexico.

Despite their directness, neither diary/essay generated a large response. Today's had about 20 recommendations; yesterday's, about 40. I have no idea how many people actually called Governor Richardson's number (505) 476-2225 and left a recorded message asking the Governor to sign the bill. I know that I did, and I trust that those who said they called in the comments actually called. Of course, I have no idea how many people just made the call after they saw the essay and didn't bother to click anything on dailyKos.

I also sent the first request for calls essay to a number of well known, large, leftwing blogs to ask them to help out with this, to ask them to ask their readership to call the Governor. This morning I awoke to see that none had responded to the request.

I don't really claim to understand how something that seems to me to be so important and so easy to carry out can have so lame a response. I'm not whining about this. I'm just saying that I don't understand it. I have no intention of spending additional time or energy trying to figure this out. I need to devote myself to trying to bring about results and not shunt myself onto some abandoned siding to analyze the meta.

So, dear readers, I am asking you to call Gov. Richardson and ask him to do the right thing, sign the bill, end the death penalty in New Mexico. It's easy. And it's the right thing to do.

Breaking: NM Legislature Passes Bill To Abolish Death Penalty

cross posted from dailyKos

Long story short, the NM legislature has passed the bill abolishing capital punishment in New Mexico and has sent it on to the governor for signature.

This happened about 15 minutes ago. Here's a first link to prove it's so.

Governor Richardson hasn't announced his decision on whether to sign it.

Now you can open that bottle of champagne and offer a toast to New Mexico and to the abolitionists who worked so hard and well to bring about this wonderful victory.

Bravo!!

The Las Cruces Sun-News tells the story:

The New Mexico Legislature has voted to repeal the death penalty and replace it with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The state Senate voted 24-18 on Friday for the repeal bill, sending it to Gov. Bill Richardson for his signature.

The House approved the legislation a month ago.

Richardson, a second-term Democrat, has opposed repeal in the past but now says he would consider signing it.

"I haven't made a final decision," the governor said this week.

According to the Sun-News, New Mexico has two men on death row whose sentences would not be affected by repeal.

What wonderful news!!!