John Kitzhaber is no longer Governor of Oregon. There is no news of his issuing any death row commutations on his way out the door. AP has this story on a noncapital commutation.
Kitzhauber's December 6, 2011 reprieve, quoted in the Oregon Supreme Court's decision in Haugen v. Kitzhaber, S060761 (June 20, 2013), reads,
The new Governor, until-today Secretary of State Kate Brown, can and should allow the law to take its course. The primary thing wrong with the death penalty is that the judgments take too long to carry out. Imposing a moratorium as a remedy makes no more sense than the nineteenth-century doctors bleeding patients as a remedy.
But will she?
Kitzhauber's December 6, 2011 reprieve, quoted in the Oregon Supreme Court's decision in Haugen v. Kitzhaber, S060761 (June 20, 2013), reads,
NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article V, Section 14 of the Oregon Constitution, I, John A. Kitzhaber, MD, Governor of the State of Oregon, hereby grant Gary D. Haugen a temporary reprieve of the aforementioned death sentence for the duration of my service as Governor.The duration of his service is over. The reprieve is over. What next?
The new Governor, until-today Secretary of State Kate Brown, can and should allow the law to take its course. The primary thing wrong with the death penalty is that the judgments take too long to carry out. Imposing a moratorium as a remedy makes no more sense than the nineteenth-century doctors bleeding patients as a remedy.
But will she?
This story by Chris Lehman at NPR is not encouraging:
Brown is far from a political enigma in Oregon. She served in the state legislature for 17 years before getting elected to statewide office in 2008.The election is a year and nine months away. The people of Oregon have another chance to elect a Governor who believes in justice, and if that is not Kate Brown then they can elect someone else.
"Kate Brown is seen as much more of a classic Democrat," says Jim Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. "She is seen as further to the left. So she does not tend to cross the public employee unions. Big on environmental things. Not known for compromising with Republicans during her time in the legislative."
The outgoing governor was known for working across the aisle. Brown will serve as Oregon governor through at least the 2016 general election. That's when she would have the chance to win the remaining two years on Kitzhaber's term.
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