Blogs

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Today (Wednesday, Nov. 17th) is our Virtual Lobby Day. Even if you’ve already talked with your legislator, contact them again! Lawmakers need to hear from us today!

Illinois has had 10 years of a moratorium. What have we learned from it? Only that the death penalty is so broken it can’t be fixed. It doesn’t keep us safer. It risks executing innocent people. It fails to meet the needs of murder victims’ families. And it costs taxpayers millions of dollars more than alternatives.

The legislature is back in session this week – and lawmakers need to hear from as many people as possible right away because they may vote on the repeal bill SB 3539 any day. It will only take a few seconds to call or send an email to your representatives in Springfield.

Illinois can put an end to ten years of moratorium limbo, save millions of dollars, and ensure that no more innocent people are sentenced to death. And we can do it this month! But there's no time to waste. Contact your legislators today!

To call your legislators, please dial 217-782-2000.

To e-mail your legislators, please visit the following site link: www.ncadp.org/IllinoisAction

If you're looking for last minute details and logistics for Tuesday's Rally and Lobby Day: Voila! Here it is:

SCHEDULE:
*Please note there have been changes to the schedule*

11am: Lobby Training at the Howlett Building Hall of Flags

11:30 Rally at the Lincoln Statue on 2nd St in front of the Capitol

12:00 Lobbying legislators in groups

1:30 Buses depart

BUS:
Two buses are departing from the Chicagoland area:

Chicago-Loop departs at 6:30am from ICADP office at 332 S. Michigan Ave (Michigan & VanBuren)

West suburban Glen Ellyn bus departs at 6:30am from Walmart at Rt. 53 & Butterfield Rd.

Joliet bus stops will arrive at 7:30am at the Metra Park and Ride at Rt. 52 exit on I-55.

Bloomington bus stops will arrive at 8:30am at the Travel Centers of America gas station on exit 160 (IL-9/US-150) off I-55.

Email liz@icadp.org for those locations and to RSVP. (We will post those asap).

Buses will depart Springfield at 1:30pm for the return trip with boxed lunches.

PARKING:
If you are making your own way to the Capitol, your best bet for parking is to check the Visitor's Center parking lot on the west side of the Capitol at Spring St & College Ave. You can also find metered parking surrounding the Capitol.

For Questions:
Call ICADP organizer Liz Moran at (217) 416-8696 for any questions, for additional information or other issues on or before Lobby Day.

This week Witness to Innocence will add its voice to ICADP's campaign to end the death penalty in Illinois! Witness to Innocence is a national organization of death row exonerees who are active in the movement to end this country's system of capital punishment. Their stories of wrongful convictions and sentencing are some of the most clear cut reminders of why the death penalty is a flawed system, and why it must be repealed. In the past Witness to Innocence has teamed up with ICADP to promote abolition around the state of Illinois.

This weekend (Nov. 12th) Witness to Innocence will be holding their annual national conference in Chicago and collaborating with ICADP during this time. Exonerees from all over the country will meet with Illinois legislators in their district offices to discuss the issue of wrongful convictions and to urge them to vote 'Yes' for repeal during November's veto sessions.

To learn more about Witness to Innocence, visit their website: http://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/index.php

Legislators will VOTE on repeal legislation this month and we need to be in the Capitol in force!

Sign up to GET ON THE BUS to rally and lobby at the Capitol on Nov. 16th, and a People of Faith rally on Nov. 29th. Your voices will encourage legislators to vote YES on our bill to repeal Illinois' death penalty, so reserve your spots on the bus today and make your voices heard!

Click here to register: http://icadp.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1028

Only 2 days left until our annual Cunningham-Carey Award Dinner, and it's still not too late to purchase your tickets for this monumental event! This year we will be honoring Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book 'Dead Man Walking', with the 2010 Cunningham-Carey Award, as well as kicking off our TIME IS NOW campaign to the repeal Illinois' death penalty in November. You can register on our website or by calling us at 312-673-3816. But hurry because this exciting opportunity will not last much longer!