Political Quotes

“H.R. 729 is the latest in a series of legislative proposals dating back a decade that have attempted to speed up the execution of the more than 2,300 people on death row in this country. The common thread in these proposals is imposing a time limit on filing the habeas petition, typically set at 6 months to 1 year, and restricting the number of appeals a prisoner can make, that is, one bite at the apple. The McCollum bill follows this approach, with a few variations, one of which is worth supporting. That is the section providing for automatic stays of execution while a habeas petition is pending. This is a much needed improvement on the current system where the fate of a condemned man hangs in the balance while lawyers scramble at the last minute to find a judge who will issue a stay of execution. In all other respects, H.R. 729 combines the worst of the habeas bills, for instance, by setting a 6-month deadline for habeas petitions instead of 1 year, or it fails to make meaningful changes.”