In This Edition:
Scheduled Executions
In the News
Upcoming Events
Seeking Sustaining Members!
Calendar and Volunteer Opportunities
Executions
The next execution in Texas is scheduled to occur in August. Currently, there are five executions scheduled to take place by the end of the year, and two executions scheduled for early 2015.
The State of Texas accounts for 7 out of 20 executions to date in 2014. No executions have taken place nationwide since the botched execution in Oklahoma on April 29, and recently a federal judge in Ohio declared a moratorium on executions until the state addresses legal issues related to its new lethal injection protocol. May was the first month with no executions in Texas since August of last year.
In the News
Texas Attorney General Reverses Course, Rules In Favor of Secrecy
On May 29, 2014, the Office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an order that defends secrecy at the expense of open government – reversing the position his office took in three prior opinions in recent years. Abbott’s office ruled in favor of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, finding that officials do not have to disclose information about the pharmacy or pharmacist now supplying the lethal injection drugs used in executions. Read more, including a statement from attorney Maurie Levin, on the TCADP blog and from the Texas Tribune.
Making the Conservative Case Against the Death Penalty
Several recent high-profile articles have highlighted the work of Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty and the way the death penalty violates conservative principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. Check out these features in Newsweek, the Boston Globe and Townhall Magazine.
Upcoming Events
Join TCADP as we launch our bi-monthly lunch series in Fort Worth! We’ll be gathering on Wednesday, June 4 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, which is located at 2708 West Fwy, Fort Worth, TX 76102. Meet other supporters in the area and learn how you can get involved in TCADP’s priority initiatives, including our speakers’ tour this fall in the Metroplex! To RSVP, please email TCADP Executive Director Kristin Houlé at khoule@tcadp.org or call the TCADP office at 512-441-1808.
This summer, TCADP will be involved in numerous religious and civic conferences and community festivals across the state. These events provide us with an opportunity to raise awareness about the realities of the Texas death penalty and identify other Texans who support our mission. Check the calendar below for details and email info@tcadp.org to volunteer. (Pictured: Shannon Breeding staffing the TCADP table at a recent civic outreach opportunity.)
>Seeking Sustaining Members!
Make an investment in the work of TCADP today by becoming a Sustaining Member! Your membership in TCADP will renew automatically each year on a date you choose, through the credit card you provide. This reliable source of support for TCADP ensures the continuity of programs and activities we provide throughout the state of Texas. Sign up now!
Calendar and Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Shoutout: Thank you to Rev. Susan Buchanan for all of her support in making the TCADP presence at the recent Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Houston possible. In just a few days, Susan, Jennifer Simmons and other UMC volunteers were able to recruit close to 80 clergy signers to the “Interfaith Statement of Opposition to the Death Penalty!” We are getting closer to our goal of 500! |
June
1-3 TCADP info at North Texas Annual Conference United Methodist Church (UMC), Richardson 4 TCADP Luncheon in Fort Worth, 12:00 to 1:30pm
13 Rio Texas Annual Conference UMC Social Justice Luncheon featuring Anthony Graves, Corpus Christi, Noon.* Online Registration through June 9!
19-22 TCADP booth at Texas Black Expo, Houston*
27-28 TCADP booth at Texas Democratic Party Convention, Dallas*
July
23 TCADP Bi-Monthly Luncheon in Austin, 12:00 to 1:00 PM, Faith United Methodist Church
26-27 TCADP booth at the Dallas Nelson Mandela World Music Festival, Grand Prairie
29 Fair & Just Lunch Series in Houston, 12:30 to 1:30; St. Anne’s Catholic Church
*For more information about these events or to volunteer to staff a table at an outreach event, email info@tcadp.org.
Support all of the programs and initiatives described here with a generous donation to TCADP today!