In a letter to the editor, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez of St. Augustine wrote the following: On Thursday, December 14th, the Death Penalty Information Center released their annual end of year report analyzing the trends and patterns we’ve seen with the death penalty in 2017. According to the report, death sentences and executions were the second lowest in a quarter century. Additionally, public support for the death penalty fell to its lowest level in 45 years.
The FCCB recently provided public testimony in support of two issues under consideration by committees of the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). The CRC convenes every 20 years to suggest changes to the Florida Constitution. Proposed constitutional amendments approved by the full commission will appear on the November 2018 ballot and will require approval from 60 percent of the electorate.
On November 30, events to recognize International Day of Cities for Life / Cities Against the Death Penalty were held at various locations in our Florida dioceses. This annual, worldwide effort has been spearheaded by the lay Catholic community of Sant'Egidio since 2002. Over 2,000 cities across the globe have declared themselves "Cities for Life" and are committed to the abolition of the death penalty and a more civil form of justice.
FCCB staff participated in a press conference on December 5 in support of a juvenile justice proposal. SB 936 by Senator Bobby Powell (D-West Palm Beach) / HB 509 by Rep. Sean Shaw (D-Tampa) modifies the process by which juveniles are transferred to the adult criminal justice system. Florida prosecutes more children as adults than any other state, most of them for non-violent offenses.
On December 6, the House Pre-K-12 Innovation Subcommittee convened a special five-member panel of school choice leaders to discuss the current levels of oversight plus academic outcomes achieved by nonpublic school students participating in state scholarship programs. James Herzog, FCCB associate director for education, spoke about the main reasons parents choose Catholic schools along with the importance of accreditation and teacher certification.