With state executions on hold, death penalty foes rethink ballot strategy

A chair is removed from the death penalty chamber at San Quentin State Prison on March 13, the day Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

California advocates of abolishing the death penalty got a jolt of momentum in March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he would not allow any executions to take place while he was in office.

But after trying twice this decade to persuade voters to end capital punishment, they have no plans to go to the ballot again in 2020. Rather than seeking to build on Newsom’s temporary reprieve for Death Row inmates, activists are taking their own pause.

Grappling with the legacy of their two failed initiatives, advocates are reassessing their strategy and retooling their message. Natasha Minsker, a political consultant who has long been involved with abolition efforts, said the governor’s moratorium has given advocates the opportunity to do long-term planning.

“There’s this excitement and energy in our movement that we haven’t had in a long time,” Minsker said. Read more >>>