CAADP Hires New Executive Director
Things are changing, and the Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty has decided that it is time to step it up a big notch, right now.
We have, for the first time in our organization's history, contracted for an Executive Director, and we want to introduce you to her. Many of you already know her, either from past work on successful CAADP campaigns—ending the death penalty for persons with mental retardation, or for juveniles—or from her leadership in other social justice campaigns, like expanded access to healthcare and for helping to set up the state's Clean Elections system. The new executive director for the Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty is Claudia Ellquist.
Claudia has lived in Arizona since 1962, attended school here, and graduated from the UA. In 1976 she earned her Juris Doctor, and was admitted to the practice of law. But in the 80s, political activism won out over the courts, and her gift for organizing, for understanding how you get from here to there, was put to work on behalf of selected causes.
In 1994 she led the largest successful recall, of an elected official, in the history of Arizona. In 1996, and again in 2000, she organized the volunteer efforts for both of the Healthy Arizona Initiatives, bringing access to healthcare to over 230,000 Arizonans. The state of Arizona appointed her, 1999-2001, as one of the five founding Commissioners, who set up the Clean Elections' system: writing rules, ruling on violations, disbursing millions of dollars to qualifying candidates, and creating the infrastructure for success. Claudia Ellquist has served on state and national boards for groups as diverse as the National Organization for Women and Church Women United. She has been recognized repeatedly for her accomplishments, including the prestigious YWCA Woman on the Move award, an honor received just weeks before CAADP's sisgter organization, SOLPAE honored her as Abolitionist of the Year in 2003.
We hope that you, as CAADP members, will agree that Claudia Ellquist is the right person to guide us through the next steps of our campaign to abolish the death penalty, in Arizona, and everywhere. She was there when we strategized, and achieved, our earlier successes, and now is the time to move in on the final goal. After a respite from executions in Arizona, that has lasted since November of 2000, this year warrants for execution are being issued again. The urgency has returned. But, at the same time, new hope, and new possibilities, are out there.
—Dennis Seavers, President, CAADP
New hope, and new possibilities?
Did you know that, in the first three months of this year, bills to abolish the death penalty moved forward dramatically in several states? In New Mexico, abolition actually passed in the House and died in a Senate committee—by only one vote. In Montana, our bill passed the Senate, but died in a House committee, again, by one vote. And here is the real excitement—in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature, abolition came within one vote, this year, of being law. One vote!
State after state, candidates are, finally, recognizing that running against the death penalty is a good idea—including Gov Corzine in New Jersey, O’Malley in Maryland, Kaine in Virginia. Executions are down, death sentences are down sharply. The Gallup Poll reported—for the first time in modern history—that Americans prefer life without parole to the death penalty.
We are conversing with activists in those states, and tailoring what we learn to the peculiarities of Arizona. We know our lawmakers are troubled about the possibility of executing an innocent man. Last year, CAADP orchestrated the public apology, by both houses, to former inmate Ray Krone, and saw that acknowledgment furthered as the state's official publication about Death Row, for the first time, included the word "exonerated" next to a Death Row survivor's name.
In the weeks to come, we will be sharing with you, our members, ways that you can help in this newest campaign to end this scourge on our consciences, once and for all. We will also be sending out a newsletter, with more details, and more opportunities. Please be sure to sign up for our e-mail, volunteer, and mailing lists.
Now is the time. We are equipping ourselves to make the right moves, in the right order, and we will need your help. Stand with us.
—Claudia Ellquist, Executive Director, CAADP
