#BizVsDP Letter to La. Governor Calling for Clemency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Business Leaders Call on Governor to Clear Louisiana’s Death Row

Baton Rouge, La., Oct. 10, 2023 – Business leaders from Louisiana and around the world have called on Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to use his executive power to clear Louisiana’s death row. In a letter today, 14 business leaders have stated their opposition to the death penalty and called on the governor to grant clemency to everyone on death row. 

“As Louisiana’s economy continues to grow and attracts new corporate investment, we must ensure that the state’s values and fiscal priorities are in alignment,” the letter states. “Rather than fight years of delays and spend millions more in taxpayer dollars in litigation, Louisiana should end its use of the death penalty once and for all.”

The business leaders join a growing coalition of executives taking a stand against capital punishment. Led by Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson, the Business Leaders’ Declaration Against the Death Penalty has been signed by over 280 business leaders worldwide. 

“Our allies from the business community are lending their voices to the urgent cause of ending the death penalty,” said Maha Jweied, CEO of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice. “Business leaders across Louisiana and around the world know that our system of capital punishment is irreparably broken. By speaking out at this crucial moment, they can help end this cruel practice in Louisiana.”

The business community joins a growing number of voices – including the Vatican, the European Union, and prominent public figures – in calling on the governor to clear the row. While capital punishment remains legal in Louisiana, there has not been an execution since 2002. Governor Edwards has the power to grant clemency in capital cases after a recommendation from the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole. Of the 57 individuals currently on death row, 55 have applied for clemency. The full text of the business letter can be found here.

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