SALEM, Ore—Governor Kate Brown announced today that there will not be a special session for SB 1013, the bill that limited the application of the death penalty in Oregon. ACLU of Oregon Policy Director Kimberly McCullough had the following comment:
“We applaud legislators and the Governor for declining to call a special session to roll back the important death penalty reforms in SB 1013. The bill limited the application of the death penalty in Oregon, and is an important step in the right direction. We were proud to testify in support of the bill during the 2019 Legislative Session, and urged lawmakers to uphold the bill as it was passed.
“The ACLU of Oregon has always fully opposed the death penalty, and our long-term goal is to end the death penalty in our state. SB 1013 applies to future sentences and to death row cases that are overturned on appeal and resentenced because the old trial or sentence is ruled unconstitutional or illegal. It is not retroactive—it does not automatically reverse the convictions or sentences of people on Oregon’s death row. However, if someone makes a rightful appeal and their death sentence is overturned, they will be resentenced under the current law. This is a fair and just outcome that aligns with the shared values that propelled this bill’s passage, and Oregon will be a more just state under this law.”