Featured News Stories
Governor "Borrows" $64 Million to Start New Death Row
August 13, 2010
Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer is so broke he breaks into his daughter's piggy bank, only to find it full of IOUs from himself? On Wednesday, that scene was reenacted in Sacramento, with Gov. Schwarzenegger playing the role of Homer. The governor announced that he would be "borrowing" $64 million from the General Fund in order to move forward with one of his pet projects, the construction of a new death row facility at San Quentin. And $64 million is just the tip of the iceberg. Altogether, the new facility is expected to total upwards of $400 million. That's half a million dollars per prison cell — roughly the cost of a nice house in California.
CUT THIS: The Death Penalty!
June 28, 2010
California’s governor has proposed closing the state’s $20 billion budget gap with a drastic cuts-only approach, slashing funding for vital human services without working to increase revenue. Yet one state program seems to be immune from these cuts: the death penalty.
Troy Davis finally has his day in court!
June 23, 2010
Troy Davis has spent 20 years on Georgia's death row despite a strong case for innocence. Finally, this week Troy and his legal team offered witness testimony to clearly establish his innocence. Check out blog posts from Amnesty International on this historic hearing!
State rejects lethal injection overhaul
June 9, 2010, Stockton Record
California's death penalty has been on hold since 2006 due to legal challenges alleging that its 3-drug lethal injection protocol is cruel and unusual punishment. In April, the Department of Corrections proposed a new set of regulations that have now been rejected by the Offica of Administrative Law, meaning a more lengthy process before the state can resume executions.
