Today's Hartford Courant reports, "Malloy In Houston, Addresses National NAACP Convention On Death Penalty." It's by Christopher Keating.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy spoke Monday at the national NAACP convention in Houston regarding Connecticut's repeal of the death penalty this year.
And:
"Earlier this year, Connecticut joined 16 other states and the rest of the industrialized world in replacing capital punishment with life in prison without the possibility of parole,'' Malloy said Monday in a statement. "It's an issue that stirs deep emotion — dividing families and communities, but it also ultimately speaks to our common goal of ensuring integrity in our justice system. I want to thank the NAACP, and Ben Jealous in particular, for their support on this issue.''
Malloy spoke at the 103rd annual convention in Texas — four months after Jealous, the national NAACP's president and CEO, joined Malloy at a press conference at the state Capitol in Hartford to advocate for repeal. Jealous had also visited Hartford in June 2009 and spoke to Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell on the telephone about the death penalty. Rell vetoed a bill that would have repealed capital punishment at the time, and Jealous said that the veto was "a cowardly act on a serious issue'' by a Republican governor.
"We are proud to recognize Governor Malloy for his leadership at our annual convention, " Jealous said in a statement released by Malloy's office. "In signing the bill to repeal capital punishment in Connecticut, Governor Malloy demonstrated a courageous commitment to civil rights and he demonstrated common sense.''
"Connecticut governor gets NAACP award," is the AP filing, via the Austin American-Statesman.
The award, a crystal bowl, was presented to Malloy Monday in an appearance at the civil rights group's annual convention in Houston, the largest city in Texas, the nation's most active death penalty state.
Malloy in April signed a measure that replaces capital punishment in Connecticut with life without parole. The former prosecutor tells delegates he once was a death penalty supporter but changed his view because he believes it's been applied disproportionately to the poor and minorities or because of the victims' race.
NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous says Malloy's action not only fulfilled a campaign promise but also represented standing up for civil rights.
Earlier coverage from Connecticut begins at the link; coverage of Gov. Malloy's signing the repeal legislation is also available.
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