On Friday the Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill repealing Maryland’s death penalty! The bill already passed the Maryland State Senate, so all that’s left is for Governor O’Malley to add his signature. This will make Maryland the 18th state without the death penalty.
This is a huge moment for abolition work, because it signals yet again that the death penalty is on its way out. Maryland is the sixth state in six years to end its death penalty, and the first south of the Mason Dixon Line. We can make this happen in Kansas, too!
Make a special contribution to KCADP today to help us celebrate this momentous victory in Maryland!
Only with supporters like you can KCADP grow its capacity to make the difference here in Kansas. Even if you have donated recently, please give generously again today. And if you have never made a contribution to KCADP, today is a great day to start! All first time contributions qualify for our 2 to 1 matching grant!
Maryland shows us that repeal is within reach, even in Kansas. Right now, we’re laying the groundwork to push for repeal in Kansas. Two repeal bills, Senate Bill 126 and House Bill 2397, were introduced in the Kansas Legislature this year. And we are working with our legislative champions to plan for the next steps, including hearings and votes.
Your contribution will help cover the cost of exciting events that will build momentum for repeal in Kansas! Kirk Bloodsworth, the Advocacy Director at Witness to Innocence and a key supporter of the Maryland repeal effort, will be speaking in Kansas on April 14th!
Kirk knows why the death penalty has to go better than most. He was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Maryland for a crime he never committed. The risk of executing an innocent man, like Kirk, is just as real in Kansas as it was in Maryland as long as we have the death penalty on the books.
Thank you for your help and support!