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| Kim Harrison |
There’s no doubt the 2005 session of the General Assembly will be viewed as historic, due in large part to the passage of civil union legislation for same-gender couples. At the same time, legislators failed to pass a comprehensive campaign reform package, despite former Governor Rowland’s conviction and prison sentence. It was also a session that featured new leadership in both houses, as well as a new governor for the first time in 10 years. A biennial budget was passed on time, something that hadn’t happened since the ‘90s.
Yet, despite these highlights and occasional shortcomings, this time may be looked back on for what dominated the news and political stage for months – the first execution in 45 years.
Early in the fall, it became clear that one of the state’s seven death row inmates would no longer use possible further appeals of his sentence, and in essence volunteered for lethal injection. January 26 was set as the execution date. In early December, Governor Jodi Rell indicated that although she had the power to postpone the date by a year she would not intervene.
When the legislature convened in early January, two bills were introduced to abolish the death penalty and hearing dates set for later in the month. Given the past history of failed attempts to abolish the death penalty there was little hope that a bill could even make it out of the Judiciary committee. The state’s religious community came together, organizing a worship service, press conferences, a lobby day and a meeting with the Governor’s staff, and being a presence at the Legislative Office Building throughout the session.
Many of those opposed to capital punishment used the legal system to try to prevent the execution from taking place. The Conference pressed the courts with leadership from attorney James Wade, asserting that the new Board of Pardons and Parole – the only body that can commute a death sentence in the state - had established no process for doing so. In an historic Saturday session of the state Supreme Court just days before the execution, Wade made an excellent presentation to the justices on the Conferences’ behalf, arguing our “compelling interest” as an organization opposed to the death penalty that thought such procedures for commutation must be in place before the state puts someone to death. The appeal was dismissed for lack of standing. And then, just hours before the January execution date, other legal maneuvering won out, postponing the execution date until May.
In the legislature an abolition bill did make it through the Judiciary committee. Although this buoyed spirits, there was still little hope the bill could pass both houses, or override a promised veto from the governor. Late in March, the House took up the proposal in a six-hour debate. Though it was defeated, 60 legislators did vote for the proposal, including many of those newly elected to the General Assembly. The state’s first execution in 45 years took place on May 11, during the last weeks of the legislative session.
On a much brighter note, Connecticut is the first state to pass civil union legislation without a court mandate. It is a separate statute that allows same gender couples to form a civil union, which confers upon them all the rights and responsibilities currently available to heterosexual couples under state law. The Conference, along with Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, worked hard to gather the requisite number of votes in both houses to secure its passage. A last-minute press conference the day before the Senate vote helped convince legislators that many religious groups were not opposed to such legislation. The Senate voted 26-8 in favor and the House, 85-63. Governor Rell signed the bill within an hour of its passage.
The Conference, through the hard work of staff, clergy and lay members, had significant impact on these two major issues. A heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who wrote letters, testified, held signs, protested, or prayed. These expressions of your “lively faith” made a difference.
