Letter to Gov. Easley Regarding Death Penalty

January 23, 2007

Dear Governor Easley:

As legislators, we write to respectfully request that you suspend immediately all executions until we can be assured that North Carolina's method of execution clearly meets the U.S. constitutional requirement that the punishment is not cruel and unusual.

Governor Jeb Bush imposed a moratorium on executions in Florida following a December 13, 2006, botched execution during which the condemned inmate clearly suffered a protracted, painful death. In addition, eight additional states -- Arkansas, California, Delaware, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota, and Maryland have recently halted executions to review their lethal injection process. It is troubling that North Carolina uses the identical drug combination as Florida.

As you know, three North Carolina death row inmates are currently scheduled for execution between January 26 and February 9. We respectfully ask that you suspend those and all other executions until our lethal injection procedures, which are identical to Florida's, can be reviewed fully.

Thank you very much for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you soon.


Sincerely,


Representatives
Rep. Alma Adams, Guilford
Rep. Martha Alexander, Mecklenburg
Rep. Larry M. Bell, Sampson, Wayne
Rep. Alice Bordsen, Alamance
* Rep. Angela Bryant, Halifax, Nash
* Rep. Becky Carney, Mecklenburg
Rep. Linda Coleman, Wake
Rep. W. Pete Cunningham, Mecklenburg
Rep. Beverly Earle, Mecklenburg
Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Wilson
Rep. Susan Fisher, Buncombe
Rep. Rick Glazier, Cumberland
Rep. Bruce Goforth, Buncombe
* Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin, Montgomery, Richmond
Rep. Larry Hall, Durham
Rep. Ty Harrell, Wake
Rep. Pricey Harrison, Guilford
Rep. Verla Insko, Orange
Rep. Maggie Jeffus, Guilford
* Rep. Earl Jones, Guilford
* Rep. Marvin Lucas, Cumberland
Rep. Paul Luebke, Durham
* Mary McAllister, Cumberland
Rep. H. M. Michaux, Jr., Durham
* Rep. Annie Mobley, Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Perquimans Rep. Earline W. Parmon, Forsyth
* Rep. Garland Pierce, Hoke, Robeson, Scotland
* Rep. Ray Rapp, Haywood, Madison, Yancey
Rep. William Wainwright, Craven, Lenoir
Rep. Larry Womble, Forsyth
Rep. Jennifer Weiss, Wake
*Rep. Thomas Wright, New Hanover, Pender


Senators
Sen. Robert C. Atwater, Chatham, Durham, Lee
* Sen. Janet Cowell, Wake
Sen. Charlie S. Dannelly, Mecklenburg
Sen. Katie G. Dorsett, Guilford
* Sen. Tony Foriest, Alamance, Caswell
* Sen. Malcolm Graham, Mecklenburg
* Sen. Ed Jones, Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, Perquimans
Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Orange
Sen. Jeanne Lucas, Durham
Sen. Vernon Malone, Wake
Sen. William Purcell, Scotland
Sen. Larry Shaw, Cumberland

* Additions to letter since Jan. 23