NOTE: TEXAS: LOBBY DAY TUES MARCH 24

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Hello viewers! You get a lot of posts here today for the "price of one" viewing. (smiles) Lots coming in!

NOTE: Please be sure to go read the latest AMNESTY ANNUAL REPORT on the DEATH PENALTY (see this report a few posts down) and then go to this site to express your opinion: here
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Please join us and people from across Texas in Austin Tuesday, March 24, for Lobby Day Against the Death Penalty. (Or tell your Texas contacts about this!)

We will speak with legislators about the injustice of the Texas death penalty system. Issues to be discussed include the risk of executing an innocent person (HB788), the need for a moratorium on executions (HB 913, HJR 24), abolition of the death penalty (HB 297, HB 682), the Law of Parties (HB 304, HB 2267), and impeaching Sharon Keller (HR 480).

The Lobby Day will include a press conference at 1 PM and a rally on the South Steps of the Capitol at 5:30.

We expect many family members of people currently or formerly on death row to participate in Lobby Day events, including the families of Kenneth Foster, Jeff Wood, Howard Guidry, Louis Castro Perez, Juan Raul Ramirez, Robert Garza, Rudy Medrano, Humberto Garza and others.

Jeanette Popp will speak as a mother of a murder victim. She will have copies of her new book "Mortal Justice" to give away to legislators. Thank you to everyone who donated a book!

Advocating an end to death sentences under the Law of Parties is the primary focus of the Lobby Day. In 2007, the death sentence of Kenneth Foster was commuted to life by Governor Perry. Foster had been sentenced to death under the Law of Parties even though he never killed anyone. Family members of Kenneth Foster, Jeff Wood and others convicted under the Law of Parties will meet with members of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and other legislators to urge them to approve HB 2267 and HB 304, both of which would end the death penalty under the Law of Parties.

There are people coming from Houston, the Rio Grande Valley and other cities. We have set up appointments with lots of legislative offices. At the lobby training session Tuesday morning, we will put everyone in groups to go around and lobby in the afternoon and we will give you a list of offices to visit. We will also provide talking points and other guidance at the training session.

The people from Houston who have already attended a training session in Houston will start lobbying at 10 AM. The rest of us will meet for a lobby training session at 10 AM and then lobby from 2-5.

Please register to let us know you are interested in coming to Lobby Day on March 24. Registration is not mandatory, but it will help us make plans if we know how many people to expect. You can also just show up at any of the day's events.

If enough people participate, we could send groups to visit more than 90 legislative offices. Participate and you can tell your grand-kids you helped end the death penalty in Texas.

(Many Groups are Participating)