Highlights of the 2007 Legislative Session • Co-Sponsors for the 2007 Moratorium Bill • Summaries of Tracked Legislation 2007 • Weekly Legislative Updates
2008 Legislation
MADP’s primary legislative focus is House Bill (HB) 1870.HB1870 would establish a study commission to analyze various aspects of the death penalty in Missouri while putting in place a concurrent two-year moratorium on executions in the state. Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City, District 114) has for the third consecutive year assumed the lead role in sponsoring the measure. Thirteen other GOP representatives joined 44 Democrats (well over 1/2 of those party representatives)-- more than a third of the full legislative body‹in co-sponsoring HB 1870. (See below for a full listing of those lawmakers, their contact information, as well as well as other notes).
To view the text of HB 1870, log onto: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/biltxt/intro/HB1870I.htm
ACTION: Please contact Rep. Deeken and thank him for again taking the initiative in advancing this wise public-policy measure. Contact him, writing his Capitol office... The Honorable Bill Deeken, House Post Office, Jefferson City MO 65101, by electronic mail at Bill.Deeken@house.mo.gov, by calling 573-751-2412 or by faxing a letter to 573-526- 9774.
ACTION: Please contact the offices of the lawmakers (especially if your representative is a co-sponsor) thanking them for co-sponsoring HB 1870. You can reach their Jefferson City offices via:
-- Standard/snail mail, writing The Honorable ___________, House Post Office, Jefferson City MO 65101; OR
-- Phone, calling their office (numbers listed below)
-- E-mail, addressing a generic letter if you wish, writing, Dear Representative, sending it to Rep. Deeken and sending your note by blind carbon copy or bcc to the other co-sponsors. Copy and paste the block of e-addresses below into the bcc box, then send your note to all co-sponsoring legislators at one time:
Jim.Avery@house.mo.gov, Mark.Bruns@house.mo.gov, Sally.Faith@house.mo.gov, Jeff.Grisamore@house.mo.gov, Mike.McGhee@house.mo.gov, Bob.Nance@house.mo.gov, John.Quinn@house.mo.gov, Therese.Sander@house.mo.gov, Rob.Schaaf@house.mo.gov, Charlie.Schlottach@house.mo.gov, Vicki.Schneider@house.mo.gov, Rick.Stream@house.mo.gov, Steven.Tilley@house.mo.gov, Craig.Bland@house.mo.gov, John.Bowman@house.mo.gov, Michael.Brown@house.mo.gov, John.Burnett@house.mo.gov, Maria.Chappelle-Nadal@house.mo.gov, shalonn.curls@house.mo.gov, Bruce.Darrough@house.mo.gov, Mike.Daus@house.mo.gov,Curt.Dougherty@house.mo.gov, td.elamin@house.mo.gov, tony.george@house.mo.gov, Belinda.Harris@house.mo.gov, Esther.Haywood@house.mo.gov, steve.hodges@house.mo.gov, jason.holsman@house.mo.gov, Theodore.Hoskins@house.mo.gov,Rodney.Hubbard@house.mo.gov, leonard.hughes@house.mo.gov, Connie.Johnson@house.mo.gov, Beth.Low@house.mo.gov,Jennee.Lowe@house.mo.gov, rebecca.mcclanahan@house.mo.gov,Sara.Lampe@house.mo.gov, Tim.Meadows@house.mo.gov, Kate.Meiners@house.mo.gov, jamilah.nasheed@house.mo.gov, charlie.norr@house.mo.gov,Jeanette.Oxford@house.mo.gov, paul.quinn@house.mo.gov,Jeff.Roorda@house.mo.gov, Martin.Rucker@house.mo.gov, luke.scavuzzo@house.mo.gov, ed.schieffer@house.mo.gov, Sue.Schoemehl@house.mo.gov,Trent.Skaggs@house.mo.gov, Michael.Spreng@house.mo.gov, Rachel.Storch@house.mo.gov, Mike.Talboy@house.mo.gov, Thomas.Villa@house.mo.gov, Michael.Vogt@house.mo.gov, Gina.Walsh@house.mo.gov, Juanita.Walton@house.mo.gov,Robin.Jones@house.mo.gov, Patricia.Yaeger@house.mo.gov
click here for a Complete listing of Legislation MADP is monitoring in 2008.
Highlights of the 2007 Legislative Session
The 2007 legislative session was the most successful session to date in MADP's campaign to pass a bill establishing a three year moratorium on executions while a commission examines death penalty practices in our state. For the second year Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City) actively sponsored the moratorium bill, HB 445. Through successful lobbying, we were able to enlist 12 other Republicans and 30 Democrats to co-sponsor HB 445.
This year, MADP took the lead role in forming, with a dozen other groups across the state, the Moratorium Now! Campaign. This coalition collectively organized a dynamic well-attended lobby day by the same name in February. The lobby day featured Tom Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor and past co-chair of the Illinois moratorium commission, who highlighted his concerns regarding the death penalty. His insightful remarks drew considerable media attention.
A few weeks later, members of the House Crime Prevention and Public Safety (CPPS) Committee held a public hearing on HB 445. Poignant testimony was provided by Kevin Green, who was exonerated after nearly being sentenced to death and spending 17 years in a California prison. Powerful remarks were also given by Matt Knuckles, a murder victim family member; and Redditt Hudson, a former St. Louis police officer who works with Eastern Missouri ACLU. Numerous organizations also provided the House Committee with written testimony in support of the moratorium.
We were able to reach a new benchmark for the bill when half of the ten member CPPS committee indicated support for the moratorium bill. Despite considerable outreach efforts and lobbying, the session ended before we could secure the one final committee vote needed for majority support to vote the bill "Do Pass". Special recognition goes to Rep. Deeken for his tenacity as a bill sponsor and to Rep. Mark Bruns (R-Jefferson) for his leadership as committee chair.
Sen. Rita Days (D-St. Louis) sponsored Senate Bill 439, an identical moratorium measure, along with seven Democratic colleagues. A committee hearing on SB 439 did not occur. Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis) and Rep. Rodney Hubbard (D-St. Louis) as they have in years past, both again thankfully introduced abolition bills, SB 354 and HB 258, respectively. The latter had a late-night public hearing before the Urban Affairs Committee chaired by Rep. Hubbard yet attended by half the committee members.
Legislative success also can come in the form of blocking a punitive measure. MADP joined with other groups in working against passage of HB 945, a bill which would have dictated capital punishment for the murder of a "criminal justice official" unless jurors could be convinced otherwise. This concept was promoted by Gov. Matt Blunt in his State of the State address. The bill easily passed the House, but some prosecutors' private opposition weighed significantly in stalling the measure after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing late in the session. Bi-partisan concerns voiced by committee members reiterated that the bill was not needed and could codify a hierarchy of valued human life. Gratefully, the committee never voted on the bill and it died.Opponents of the death penalty received a legislative blow when both chambers of the General Assembly passed the so-called "hooded executioner" bill on the second last day of the session. HB 820 protects members of the execution team by making liable anyone who reveals the identity of a team member. Sponsored by Rep. Dani Moore (R-Fulton) the bill was a priority of the department of Corrections (DOC) after the St. Louis Post Dispatch printed an expose last summer on the troubled medical past of the doctor who had been assisting with executions.
HB 820 easily passed the House of Representatives and the Senate Judiciary Committee before coming to the Senate for full debate. On May 8 several Democrats—with encouragement and information provided by MADP and other groups—laudably initiated a quasi-filibuster against the measure. Fearing that the delaying maneuver would jeopardize other legislative priorities in the session's waning days, Senate leadership laid the bill over. Eight days later though, the resistant lawmakers accepted a deal with Senate leaders, refraining from mounting further delaying tactics in exchange for passage of a provision allowing parole hearings for about a dozen women, incarcerated for killing their abusive spouses or partners before 1990 (a time when domestic violence was not recognized by the courts as a mitigating factor for homicide.) Once that bill (HB 583), had passed the chamber, Senate leaders brought back to the floor the "hooded executioner's" bill which then passed without fanfare. Both bills then went back to the House was quick final approval.
Although MADP and other opposing groups did not agree to the "deal" arranged by Senate leaders to secure passage of HB 820, we recognize that the arrangement offered a rare legislative opportunity to assist some battered women who had extremely long prison sentences. In July, 2007, Governor Blunt signed both HB 583 and HB 820 into law.
With the governor's signature Missouri became the first state in the nation to prescribe punishment for reporting the name of those killing in the state's name The impact of the HB 820 is unclear at this time as executions are still on hold while Missouri’s execution protocol is being challenged in federal court. The compromised bill also establishes Missouri’s lethal injection protocol as an open record, providing information potentially helpful to defense attorneys. Questions have additionally been raised in regards to the constitutionality of the execution bill.
Co-Sponsors for the 2007 Moratorium Bill
Symbol Key: *First time co-sponsor of moratorium/abolition bills, +New legislator
Republicans
Rep. Jim Avery, Crestwood, District 95
(jim.avery@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2150)
Rep. Mark Bruns, Jefferson City, District 113
(mark.bruns@house.mo.gov, 573-751-0665)
*Rep. Charlie Denison, Springfield, District 135
(charlie.denison@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2210)
*Rep. Sally Faith, St. Charles, District 15
(sally.faith@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1452)
*Rep. Jim Lembke, St. Louis, District 85
(jim.lembke@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2315)
*Rep. Mike McGhee, Odessa, District 122
(mike.mcghee@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1462)
Rep. John Quinn, Chillicothe, District 7
(john.quinn@house.mo.gov, 573-751-4028)
Rep. Therese Sander, Moberly, District 22
(therese.sander@house.mo.gov, 573-751-6566)
Rep. Rob Schaaf, St. Joseph, District 28
(rob.schaaf@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2183)
*Rep. Charlie Schlottach, Owensville, District 111
(charlie.schlottach@house.mo.gov, 573-751-6668)
Rep. Vicki Schneider, O-Fallon, District 17
(vicki.schneider@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2433)
*Rep. Steven Tilley, Farmington, District 106
(steven.tilley@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1488)
Democrats
Rep. Judy Baker, Columbia, District 25
(judy.baker@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2175)
Rep. Craig Bland, Kansas City, District 43
(craig.bland@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2124)
Rep. John Bowman, St. Louis, District 70
(john.bowman@house.mo.gov, 573-751-4726)
Rep. Michael Brown, Kansas City, District 50
(michael.brown@house.mo.gov, 573-751-7639)
*Rep. John Burnett, Kansas City, District 40
(john.burnett@house.mo.gov, 573-751-3310)
*Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, St. Louis, District 72
(maria.chappelle-nadal@house.mo.gov, 573-751-4265)
+Rep. Shalonn Curls, Kansas City, District 41
(573-751-3158)
Rep. Michael Daus, St. Louis, District 67
(mike.daus@house.mo.gov, 573-751-6736)
*Rep. Curt Dougherty, Independence, District 53
(curt.dougherty@house.mo.gov, 573-751-6535)
Rep. Belinda Harris, Hillsboro, District 110
(belinda.harris@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2398)
Rep. Ted Hoskins, Berekley, District 80
(theodore.hoskins@house.mo.gov, 573-751-0169)
Rep. Rodney Hubbard, St. Louis, District 58
(rodney.hubbard@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2383)
Rep. Connie Johnson, St. Louis, District 61
(connie.johnson@house.mo.gov, 573-751-7605)
Rep. Paul LeVota, Independence, District 52
(paul.levota@house.mo.gov, 573-751-9759)
Rep. Beth Low, Kansas City, District 39
(beth.low@house.mo.gov, 573-751-4485)
Rep. Jennee Lowe, Kansas City, District 44
(jennee.lowe@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2437)
+Rep. Rebecca McClanahan, Kirksville, District 2
(rmc@rebeccamcclanahan.com, 573-751-4042)
*Rep. Sara Lampe, Springfield, District 138
(sara.lampe@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1460)
*Rep. Tim Meadows, Imperial, District 101
(tim.meadows@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1311)
Rep. Kate Meiners, Kansas City, District 46
(kate.meiners@house.mo.gov, 573-751-9469)
Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, St. Louis, District 59
(jeanette.oxford@house.mo.gov, 573-751-4567)
*Rep. Jeff Roorda, Barnhart, District 102
(jeff.roorda@house.mo.gov, 573-751-2504)
+Rep. Paul Quinn, Monroe City, District 7
(573-751-4028)
*Rep. Martin Rucker, St. Joseph, District 29
(martin.rucker@house.mo.gov, 573-751-9460)
Rep. Michael Spreng, Florissant, District 76
(michael.spreng@house.mo.gov, 573-751-9628)
*Rep. Rachel Storch, St. Louis, District 64
(rachel.storch@house.mo.gov, 573-751-1400)
+Rep. Michael Talboy, Kansas City, District 37
(573-751-1309)
Rep. Thomas Villa, St. Louis, District 108
(thomas.villa@house.mo.gov, 573-751-0438)
Rep. Juanita Head Walton, St. Louis, District 81
(juanita.walton@house.mo.gov, 573-751-5538)
Rep. Robin Wright Jones, St. Louis, District 63
(robin.jones@house.mo.gov, 573-751-6800)
Summaries of Tracked Legislation 2007
Bills that MADP Supported
Moratorium Bills
Abolition Bills
Bills that MADP Opposed
Execution Team Bill
Death Penalty Expansion Bill
Weekly Legislative Updates
There are no current weekly updates. Please check back for updates when the 2008 legislative session begins.
For weekly updates from the 2007 Legislative Session, please see our archives page.