Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Legislative

Talking Points: The Death Penalty as a Consumer Fraud Issue

Why Keep the Death Penalty?

Can the Death Penalty be reformed?

Legislators Need Educating!

Over the next year, the Coalition and other anti-death penalty organizations will continue their organizing and public education campaign to build support for the abolition of the death penalty. Also, we will be reaching out to Illinois legislators to educate them about the flaws and injustices in the Illinois death penalty system.

We need your help to carry out this vital work. We will train you and provide materials to help you as you talk to your legislators about the need to end the death penalty.

Please email the Coalition if you want more information about participating in the legislator education program at: info@icadp.org

How to become an effective citizen-legislative-educator

If we are to succeed in eliminating the death penalty in Illinois, we will have to convince our legislators that it is in the best interest of their constituents and the citizens of Illinois to vote in favor of abolition of the death penalty. A bill is currently pending in the general assembly that would abolish the death penalty and replace it with a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole (House Bill 213; Chief Sponsor Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago).

In theory, each of the legislators is responsible to all of the citizens of Illinois, but in practice they are much more responsive to personal appeals from their own constituents. The three ways to influence your legislators by personal contact are: a letter (good), a telephone call (better), and a face-to-face meeting (best).

1. Who are my legislators and how do I contact them?
Each of us is represented by an Illinois state Senator and a state Representative. The numbers of our state Senate and House districts are printed on the Voter Identification Card that we received in the mail from the Election Commission, but most of us do not know the names of our state legislators. It has not been made easy for us either since district boundaries cut across county, township, and municipal borders.

Fortunately the web has come to our rescue and the best way to find out this vital information is to access the Illinois Elections web site and enter your 9 digit ZIP code (or your complete street address). That will give you the numbers of your Illinois Senate and House districts and the names of your legislators. Click on the legislator's name to get the contact information (address and telephone number for both district and capitol offices) Hint: if the Elections website gives you an error message like: "Unable to find this address. Please make sure you entered the address correctly." when you entered your street address, first go to the Post Office web site, find your ZIP+4 code, and use that 9 digit ZIP code at the Elections site.

If you still are unsuccessful, contact The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and they will get you the information you need.

Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Suite 2300
180 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: (312) 849-2279
Fax: (312) 201-9760
E-mail: jbohman@icadp.org

2. What do I say to my legislators?
Your first step is to educate yourself. A good place to start is the Death Penalty Facts page. That will lead you to additional useful information. Then consult the ACLU's "How to Lobby" web site. Although targeted at legislators on the national level, it gives good general advice.

3. Have a personal meeting with your legislator.
There are three documents that contain valuable information on planning, having, and following up on a personal meeting with your Senator or Representative. They are all similar but with slight differences. Pick the one you like best and print it out and bring it with you to review just prior to your visit with your legislator.

"Tips on Meeting..." is produced by the ACLU. Like other ACLU material it is focused on our national legislature, but the tips work just as well for the state officials.

"Contacting your legislator" covers both personal visits and telephone calls.

"Working With legislators" was written by a professional lobbyist and is focused on the personal meeting.

4. Telephone your legislator.
Your legislator will most likely be in Springfield during the week when the legislature is in session and in the district office at other times. Unless you have already established a relationship, you are unlikely to speak to him or her personally even if you call right office.

* Study the facts in advance and plan your call. You want your legislator to cosponsor HB576 or at least vote in favor of it.

* Be sure to speak with the staff person who works on death penalty or criminal justice issues at your legislator's office. Don't leave your message with the receptionist, as your opinion will not be tallied. Give the person with whom you speak your home address, and be sure to request a written response to your call-otherwise, your opinion may not be "tallied."

* CALL SCRIPT:
--Ask to speak to your legislator or to the member of the staff who covers the death penalty or criminal justice. Here is a suggested conversation:
"Hi, this is ---(your name)---, and I want to know Representative/Senator ______'s position on the death penalty. Is Representative/Senator __________in favor of House Bill 213, which abolishes the death penalty and replaces it with a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole? It is important to me that Representative/Senator ___________ take a strong stance on favor of replacement of capital punishment with life without parole. Please send me a written response with the member's position to these crucial questions. We are counting on the strong support of every Legislator. As a constituent, I will be watching this vote closely.''

5. Send a letter to your legislator.
"Tips on Writing..." is another ACLU document. These tips will help increase the effectiveness of your letter.

6. Leave behind or mail in a single sheet summarizing your position and reiterating your main points. The Death Penalty Does Not Work, produced by the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty, can be used for this purpose. It would be even better if you could personalize the material to address the principal concerns of the legislator (innocence, cost, security, public opinion, victims' rights...) but you can use the sheet the way it is.