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Thank you for being a vital part of our 2005 Repeal Campaign!

Thanks to the overwhelming efforts of grassroots and faith-based supporters statewide, legislation to replace the death penalty with life without parole soared through the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2005 Legislative Session. The historic 38-31 vote marked the first time that a repeal bill passed either chamber of the New Mexico Legislature.

With unprecedented public and legislative support, repeal advocates helped broaden the death penalty debate to include victims’ rights as one of its foundations.

Unfortunately, Governor Richardson continued to support capital punishment throughout the session and is not yet ready to support replacing the death penalty with life without parole. With the Governor’s influence, House Bill 576 - Abolish the Death Penalty - died on a 5-4 vote in its last committee before reaching the Senate floor.

As policymakers and the public nationwide grow increasingly skeptical of the just application of the death penalty, the momentum of New Mexico’s grassroots campaign gained both national and international attention, and the state moved closer to making repeal of the death penalty a reality.

The 2005 Catastrophic Crime & Family Restitution Program
(HB 576, HB 577, and HB 356/578)

HB 576, Abolish the Death Penalty passed the House of
     Representatives on Monday, February 28th in a 38-31 vote. It
     was tabled on Friday, March 11th in Senate Judiciary, 5-4.
HB 577, Murder Victims' Children College Tuition, passed House
    Judiciary but was tabled in House Appropriations.
HB 356/578, Employee Leave for Certain Crime Victims, passed
     unanimously on the House floor but remained on the Senate floor
     agenda at the session's close.

2005 Legislative Highlights

HB 576 introduced with a record 34 House Co-Sponsors
HB 576 passes House Consumer & Public Affairs, 4-2
HB 576 passes House Judiciary, 6-3
HB 576 passes the House of Representatives in historic 38-31 vote, including 5 Republicans
HB 576 passes Senate Rules, 4-2

NM Repeal's First Lobby Day a Success!

Repeal advocates gathered February 15th at the First Christian Church from all corners of the state, including Las Cruces, Silver City, Gallup, and Las Vegas. The day included a visit from guest speaker, Ron Keine, lobby training, and a lasagna lunch before storming the Capitol to talk with legislators and a chance meeting with the Governor.

Repeal supporters greet the Governor following a press
conference in the Rotunda.

Advocates celebrate a productive day of lobbying outside the Roundhouse.

NM Repeal staff members, Hannah Robertson and Kathleen MacRae,
with Ron Keine, New Mexico's only surviving exoneree, and his fiance, Pat.

The New Mexico Coalition to
Repeal the Death Penalty

NM Repeal believes that further violence is never an appropriate response to murder.

We are a coalition of diverse organizations and individuals committed to repealing the death penalty in New Mexico. Through educating our communities on the realities of capital punishment, we mobilize New Mexicans to advocate for just public policy reform and innovative solutions to the problem of violence in our society.

Death penalty activist Sister Helen says, "Support for the death penalty is a mile wide but only an inch thick." The key to making death penalty repeal a reality is education. Contact NM Repeal to find out how you can educate yourself and your community and scratch through that final inch that separates us from abolition!

NM Repeal
PO Box 8552
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505)986-9536 phone
(505)986-9576 fax
info@nmrepeal.org

Join our efforts and help us provide humane and restorative alternatives to the death penalty.

Become a part of the Coalition today.