News

A Movement Matures

  • By Hannah Cox
  • October 2, 2019
Conservative leaders against the death penalty convened in New Orleans to recap this year’s efforts toward repeal.

In September, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty (CCATDP) hosted its first national gathering for staff, supporters, and volunteers from across the country. We converged on New Orleans and spent two thrilling days talking about our numerous recent victories and strategizing for future campaigns.

The past year has been amazing. Conservatives were the deciding votes in New Hampshire’s successful repeal campaign. And in ten other states, Republicans introduced similar pieces of legislation, one of which fell only four votes shy of success in Wyoming. All of this happened while the downward trend for executions and new death sentences in the country continues, and support for the death penalty is at an all-time low.

States like Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado are anticipating big repeal movements in 2020 where our affiliates are certain to be a part of the conversation. In other states, like Louisiana and Ohio, the many problems with capital punishment are becoming more prominent. And people are voicing their concern, including Republican leaders. Given all of this, we had a lot to discuss.

EJUSA’s Mona Cadena (left) and Hannah Cox facilitate discussion on the conservative movement toward repeal.

I was so impressed by the wealth of knowledge in the room. From attorneys to GOP executive committee members, Young Americans for Liberty campus presidents to former jurors, those in the room were tried and true Republicans with a deep knowledge of their states, political parties, and justice system.

This all started as an organic grassroots movement in Montana where a few principled conservatives who felt strongly in their pro-life views and wanted to fight for change around the broken death penalty organized and began elevating the issues with capital punishment. Today, we are a national organization influencing policy across the country and bringing together conservative leaders from every corner of the nation. This event showed just how far CCATDP has come, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this movement.

We left the weekend energized and excited to head back into battle in the coming months on an issue that is truly bipartisan and uniting people on both sides of the aisle. Keep an eye on us because you’re going to see more successful state campaigns and soon.

Hannah Cox is the national senior manager for Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty (CCATDP). She works with campaigns across the country to help educate and mobilize those on the right around the deep flaws in the death penalty system.