ACTION ALERT – Death Penalty Referendum

Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) has announced that on May 16th, the Senate will hold an extraordinary floor session for a number of issues, including Senate Joint Resolution 5, a proposal to have a statewide referendum on enacting the death penalty. Now is the time to call or email your state Senator to let him or her know that the Wisconsin Jewish Conference opposes this measure and to express any additional concerns you have about this issue. Click here to find out how to contact your Senator.

SJR 5 represents a new legislative strategy by death penalty proponents. Rather than introducing a bill to establish a death penalty in Wisconsin, which has repeatedly failed in the past, this resolution would instead require a statewide advisory referendum calling for the death penalty in certain cases.

Senate President Alan Lasee (R-De Pere) introduced Senate Joint Resolution 5 in February of 2005, calling for a referendum endorsing the death penalty in cases involving a person who is convicted of multiple first-degree intentional homicides if the homicides are vicious and the convictions are supported by DNA evidence. Death penalty opponents are concerned that a referendum supporting the death penalty will put a great deal of pressure on some lawmakers to support subsequent legislation.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy held a public hearing on December 8, 2005 at which the Wisconsin Jewish Conference registered in opposition to the proposal. The full Senate approved an amended version of the resolution on March 7, 2006, by a vote of 20-13, and the Assembly further amended and passed SJR 5 on May 4, 2006, by a vote of 47-45. The Senate must now decide whether or not to agree to the Assembly’s changes.

The Senate Judiciary committee initially amended the proposal to change the language to allow the death penalty for a person convicted of a single first-degree intentional homicide, rather than multiple first-degree intentional homicides. A further amendment on the Senate floor placed the referendum on the September, 2006 primary ballot. The Assembly amendment would put the referendum on the November 2006 general election ballot and modifies the question to remove the language relating to the homicide being vicious.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS