Let's keep the momentum going in Ohio! For the last 5 weeks, Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE) and Death Penalty Action have invited your help reaching out to Ohio's Speaker of the House, Matt Huffman, and your state representatives. Starting today we are expanding our calls to Gov. DeWine - encouraging him to work to end executions in Ohio once and for all.
Despite his personal feelings toward the death penalty, Speaker Huffman, acknowledged that if an overwhelming portion of his caucus wanted to pass legislation ending the death penalty, he was "not going to block that from coming to the floor."
We are grateful that Gov. DeWine has not allowed any executions to take place during his tenure as Ohio's governor. We expected him to issue some kind of death penalty announcement in January - here we are in April and we are still waiting... but we know that there are constant chatters about the death penalty around the Statehouse.
Each week in April, we need your help in reaching out to your state representative, Speaker Huffman, AND Governor DeWine. In lieu of phone calls, we invite you to send physical letters in the mail this month.
Send your letters to Gov. DeWine here:
Governor Mike DeWine
30th Floor, Riffe Center
77 S High St.
Columbus, OH 43215-6117
CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE
In your letters to your representatives, please include the following:
- I am a constituent;
- I oppose the death penalty;
- I'm calling to tell the representative it's time to end the death penalty in Ohio.
- If you want, you can tell the staffer who answers the phone why you oppose the death penalty.
Speaker Matt Huffman
77 South High Street, 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Include the following in your notes to Speaker Huffman:
- I am an Ohioan;
- I oppose the death penalty;
- I'm calling to make sure the Speaker knows I urge him and his leadership team to end the death penalty in Ohio.
- If you want: please thank the Speaker for stating he will not stand in the way of a repeal bill going to the floor.
Last week, OTSE released Beyond Reasonable Doubt: Confronting the Wrongful Conviction Crisis in the State of Ohio, which, as the name suggests, bares out the wrongful conviction crisis plaguing Ohio and its implications for Ohio's death penalty - present and future.
Thank YOU. Together, brick by brick, we are building a world without executions.