ACLU-NC Praises Gov. Perdue for SB 9 Veto

Calling Racial Justice Act a Crucial Safeguard Against Racial Discrimination in Capital Punishment System, ACLU-NC Urges Legislators to Sustain Governor’s Veto

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CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

RALEIGH – The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today praised North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue for vetoing SB 9, a bill that would repeal the state’s landmark Racial Justice Act, and called on members of the General Assembly to sustain her veto in order to prevent executions based on race.

“We applaud Governor Perdue for vetoing a measure that ignores the role that race plays in death penalty cases in North Carolina,” said Sarah Preston, ACLU-NC Policy Director. “The Racial Justice Act is a crucial safeguard against well-documented racial discrimination in our state’s capital punishment system. We strongly urge members of the General Assembly to save this landmark law by sustaining the governor’s veto of SB 9.”

The ACLU of North Carolina is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving and expanding the guarantees of individual liberty found in the United States Constitution, the North Carolina Constitution, and related federal and state civil rights laws. With more than 8,000 members and supporters throughout the state and an office located in Raleigh, the organization achieves its mission through advocacy, public education, community outreach, and when necessary, litigation.

For more information, please visit www.acluofnc.org.