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Urge the Illinois General Assembly to Override Governor Blagojevich’s Amendatory Veto and Reform Illinois’ Failed and Discredited Death Penalty System!

October 30, 2003
Dear ACLU of Illinois Action Alert Member,

A critical measure to reform the failed and discredited death penalty system in Illinois passed both the Illinois House and Illinois Senate, but is now threatened by an unwarranted amendatory veto by Governor Rod Blagojevich. We urge you to contact your State Representative and State Senator and urge them to override the Governor’s amendatory veto and move death penalty reform forward in Illinois!

Senate Bill 472 includes many of the proposals recommended by the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment, including: compelling police to produce exculpatory information in homicide cases; mandating a pre-trial process to test the veracity of "informant" or "jailhouse snitch" testimony; and, banning the execution of persons who are mentally ill.

The legislation cleared both the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate by wide margins. After the session, Governor Blagojevich used his amendatory veto authority to delete a provision that created a penalty for false testimony by police officers in homicide cases. The particular measure vetoed by the Governor would authorize the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to decertify police officers that commit perjury on the witness stand in homicide cases. Currently, the only way to address perjury by a police officer in a homicide case is indictment and conviction for perjury. Senate Bill 472 recognizes that such prosecution may be unlikely, owing to the relationship between police and prosecutors – many of whom work together closely for years.

Senate Bill 472 provides a procedure for disciplining law enforcement officers similar to the procedure used by the State’s Department of Profession Regulation as they oversee and discipline members of other professions. It simply places the ability to discipline law enforcement officials in the hands of the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board.

If the Governor’s veto is not overridden, we risk seeing no progress on death penalty reform this year. The Chicago Tribune has called this legislation “the most significant criminal justice reform this state has seen in years.” Please act today to insure that this reform goes into effect. Call you State Senator and State Representative today and urge them to override the Governor’s veto on Senate Bill 472!

To Telephone you State Senator and State Representative, call the Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000 and ask to be connected to his/her office. Urge your State Senator and State Representative to override the Governor’s veto on Senate Bill 472. A draft letter on Senate Bill 472, with additional information and background on the issue, is available on the ACLU of Illinois website.

If possible, please email ACLU Legislative Director Mary Dixon at mdixon3@attglobal.net to let her know you were able to contact your representative. Her ability to lobby is greatly enhanced by knowing that legislators are hearing from their constituents.

For more information –

Resources available on the ACLU of Illinois website www.aclu-il.org

* Learn who your Representative is;

* Find the phone number and address for your legislators; and,

* Join the ACLU!

Thank you –
You action can make a difference!