Report from 2010 Lobby Day During Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break

Texas House Speaker's Committee Room

By Hooman Hedayati

As part of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Lobby Day on March 18, I and several students participating in the Anti Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break visited several offices of Texas legislators at the capitol in Austin with information on Hank Skinner. We asked legislators to write clemency letters to Gov. Perry in support of Skinner, who was scheduled for execution the week after the Lobby Day. The students had been trained in how to lobby on March 17 in a workshop led by Alison Brock, chief of staff to State Rep. Sylvester Turner. James Tate, one of the spring break students, reported on the lobbying training on the Dallas Morning News blog.

The day after the training, we put into action what we learned from Alison by going door to door to visit the offices of our own state representatives and several other members of the Texas Legislature, including Lon Burnam, Ruth Jones McClendon, Harold Dutton, Elliott Naishtat, and Rodney Ellis.

We had initially intended to lobby for moratorium legislation for next year's legislative session. However, after meeting with Sandrine Ageorges-Skinner, Hank Skinner's wife, who talked about her husband's case during the alternative spring break, we decided that we can be more effective by asking legislators to write clemency letters in support of DNA testing that could possibly exonerate Hank Skinner. 

The lobby day started with a press conference at the House Speaker's Committee room. The press conference was hosted by Colleen Farrell on behalf of all the students participating in the alternative spring break. Colleen, Amnesty International's Student Regional Coordinator, is a student at SUNY-Geneseo in New York, She came to Texas to attend the alternative spring break to learn more about the death penalty. With all the local Austin channels present, plus Univision and several other reporters, Colleen introduced the exonerated former death-row inmates one-by-one: Ron Keine, Juan Melendez, Shujaa Graham, Perry Cobb, Curtis McCarty and Derrick Jamison. Some of them had come within days and even hours of being executed. Some of them had come within days and even hours of being executed. The exonerees said they supported a moratorium on executions and called on Gov. Perry and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to stay the upcoming execution of Hank Skinner to allow testing of the DNA evidence. Colleen then introduced Hank's wife, Sandrine, who also spoke.

Video: Fox 7 Austin


After the press conference, we went to one of the committee rooms in the Capitol Extension where each exoneree talked in detail about his case and how he had been convicted despite being innocent and how he later had been exonerated. Rep. Lon Burnam, a long time supporter of SADP and also an abolitionist, had sent an email to all the legislative offices in the capitol inviting them to come and hear the exonerees tell their stories.

The Texas legislature is not in session so a most legislators were not in Austin, but staff members of several legislators attended the event, alongside people from other organizations, such as the Texas Catholic Conference. Many tourists walked in the room curious about what was going on and left the room outraged at the injustices of our criminal justice system.

Afterward, the students divided into several groups with each group assigned to visit several legislative offices. Juan Melendez, who spent more than 17 years on Florida's death-row for a crime he did not commit, accompanied my group. First, we visited the office of Rep. Elliot Naishtat, who represents the University of Texas at Austin, where I and several other students went and still go to school. We met with Dorothy Browne, Chief of staff to Rep. Naishtat. She apologized to Juan for not being able to attend the panel discussion event earlier in the day. She had already heard about Hank Skinner in the news and promised to talk to Rep. Naishtat about writing a clemency letter. Before heading for the 5 PM rally and the march through the SXSW crowd on 6th street, we visited the offices of Rep. Harold Dutton, Senator Ellis and Rep McClendon, who represents a student in our group. According to reports in CNN and the Texas Tribune we know that at least two of the state legislators we visited wrote clemency letters to Rick Perry urging him to stop the execution of Hank Skinner today. Naishtat wrote in his letter regarding questions in Skinner's case, "post-conviction DNA testing of evidence could help resolve these questions. Governor, I believe we have time to answer questions in Mr. Skinner's case. We should take that opportunity to have moral certainty that justice is achieved in the case."

Read Rep Naishtat's letter.

Read the letter by Senator Ellis.

On March 24, minutes before Hank's scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in and stayed his execution, giving us another reason to celebrate our success at the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break.

Next year, the alternative spring break will fall in the middle of the 2011 Texas legislative session, so we plan to spend the next year getting ready to visit the capitol again to lobby for a moratorium on executions.

Alternative Spring Break: Learning how to participate in the legislative process

The following is the third and last blog post by James Tate, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, for the Dallas Morning News. You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series online.

It was the final day of the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, and they say that all good things must come to an end. But fortunately for us, our mission doesn't end here. We have gained essential tools and personal stories to share with a public that tends to develop generalized opinions based on a snap-shot of the issue.

On this final day, we were first introduced to Vincent Villano from Campus Progress (campusprogress.org), that helps students on campuses around the country mobilize their student bodies for an array of issues and policies they believe in. He guided us through a workshop that loaded our tool belt with effective means of communicating with the press, some insight into giving press conferences, and how to speak in "sound bites" when giving an interview with a reporter. The media filters interviews in search of quick impactful statements that make for good viewing. Together the spring breakers collaborated on a message toolbox to develop our very own message, and the results would later pay off.

Media Workshop with Vincent VillanoVincent Villano of
Campus Progress at the Center for American Progress.

Much importance was paid to conveying our message - and to the right people. Legislators and their staff are combated with a variety of issues by numerous lobbyists on any given day in the Capitol. We were obliged to spend some time with Alison Brock, Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative Sylvester Turner. She was just as humorous as she was knowledgeable and her demeanor brought some much needed laughter to the students. I was shocked to see how few students were aware of who their representatives were. She guided us to www.house.state.tx.us , and accordingly to www.senate.state.tx.us to locate the legislators in our districts. "Relationships drive your agenda," Ms. Brock shared, and reminded us that it isn't always about what you know, but more importantly who you know. It was remarkable to get an inside perspective of the actions that will actually get a response from the representatives and their aides.

Lobbying Workshop with Alison Brock, Chief of Staff to Texas
State Representative Sylvester Turner.

Our official press conference and panel discussion began at 11:00 a.m. and the anxiety seemed to return to the students. The difference between workshops in the Communications building on the UT campus, and a media-filled room in the Capitol are incomparable. Our location was the Texas House Speaker's Committee room and poised in front of a wall mural of the Texas emblem, our eyes gazed as each exoneree delivered their story. Although we had heard each of these stories prior, the astonishment of these travesties resonates still. It is a humbling experience to stand in front of a man standing 6 feet 2 inches tall as tears roll down his face. I think the realness of this conference finally settled in.


Fox 7 coverage of the Alternative Spring Break.

We were given the opportunity to scatter throughout the Capitol in our grassroots attempt to lobby. Being that the Texas Legislature is not in session, few legislators were available, but just walking down the halls breeds confidence. The experience sparked something in the students and reminded us that the distance between us and our elected officials is not all that broad. The Capitol is an open public building and with names posted outside the door, one can literally walk right into their representative's office. Is it really that easy? Yes and no. Gaining access to staff seems to be considerably easier that gaining access to the representative themselves, but the ability is there and with a little determination gaining some one-on-one time is most likely reachable. Perhaps I will return during session.

The climax to our day, and the conference as a whole, occurred at 5:00 pm when we gathered on the South steps of the Capitol. Once again, at a podium, the exonerees along with guest speakers from other anti-death penalty organizations delivered quick impactful synopsis of their personal stories. The turnout was greater than I imagined. Media was in tow and amazingly tourists halted even if for a moment to hear the commotion. My attention caught an older woman who had stopped for a moment to listen. She appeared to be somewhat shocked by what she was hearing, perhaps a little appalled. Whatever her reasoning she picked up a protest sign and joined the others on the steps. Does it simply take a little understanding to grasp the injustice that is taking place? Our rally gave way to a march down Congress Avenue, through Sixth Street, and back again. The energy was electric, and the SXSW participants seemed more than welcoming to our sign and chants. Some applauded and some joined in for a block or two. This was a refreshing end to a loaded week. Our mission ended with a call for justice. Our voices were loud and our hearts pounded with the opportunity to be part of the process.

Bill Pelke of Journey of Hope from Violence to Healing, talks
during the capitol rally.

All in all, this experience was moving. I had the opportunity to learn details about the death penalty and it cemented by previous convictions of its wrongness. I met six people who had lived the hell that we had talked about all week. I met students from all over the country that shared my opinions and speakers from different organizations that donated their time to sharing their expertise. If someone unaware were to have looked into the room were meeting in all week, they would have witnessed our very own Breakfast Club. There was the ex-military, the preps, the outcasts, the overachievers, the laid-back "silent-but-deadly", and the amateur journalist documenting it all. Each from our own background, with our own ideals and stereotypes, we were most definitely unique. But however distinct we were, our purpose was common. We all believe that the death penalty is barbaric and archaic, and should be abolished in the same manner as slavery and lynching. I don't believe in murder in any form - be it a citizen or the State. Murder is murder, and it is not the right of any government to use it on its citizens.

Students leaving the Texas Capitol.

6th Street: A marching band and several SXSW attendees join the protest.

Wednesday's Schedule for Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break

Below is the schedule of events for the second day of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, Wednesday, March 17. You may come to all the events or just individual sessions. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to register, just show up for the events. It is all free.

It starts at noon on Wednesday. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.

Noon - 1:00 Media Workshop with Vincent Villano of Campus Progress. Workshop will give tips on communicating effectively with reporters, writing press releases, organizing press conferences and other topics.

1:00 - 2:00 PM Lobbying Workshop in preparation for next day's lobbying at capitol, with Alison Brock, Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative Sylvester Turner.

2:00 - 2:15 Break

2:15 - 3:15 “Art and Activism” with John Holbrook, photographer of Texas death row, whose work has been exhibited in the Europe and the U.S., including at the Texas Capitol in May 2009. A selection of John's photographs and other death penalty-themed artworks will be on display. John will talk about his experiences photographing people on Texas death row and his 17 years working as a private investigator on Texas capital murder cases.

3:15 - 3:30 Break

3:30 - 4:30 PM Campus Organizing and Coalition Building Workshop with Vincent Villano of Campus Progress. There’s so much more to working in coalition than inviting people to join you in your efforts. It’s hard work and requires skill, understanding and strategy, but the rewards for you, your partners, and your cause are endless (and fun!). Learn the importance of working in coalition, how to identify allies, how to engage non-traditional partners, where coalition building fits in with your campaign plan, and why it might be just what you need to take your issue campaign to the next level.

4:30- 5 PM Discussion of next day's press conference, lobbying visits and rally.·

Dinner break (on your own)

7:00 Screen Printing Workshop with Garry Spitzer of CEDP, plus sign-making session for next day's rally. Screen printing is a method of applying images to signs and t-shirts.

Free Time to enjoy Austin

---

Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break.

Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.