Will Blue Wave Slow Executions in Texas?

The blue wave that swept over Texas last week has death penalty opponents wondering how the state’s new Democratic leaders will alter the rubber-stamping of capital punishment cases that Republicans have facilitated for decades. On Monday, Nov. 9, the Rev. Jeff Hood, founder of the Execution Intervention Project, urged Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa to declare an immediate moratorium on executions when she takes office in January. “We are asking for a 30-day reprieve on every single execution that comes forward,” Hood said. “We believe that that 30-day reprieve will offer space to ask more questions, to engage these situations more thoroughly.” The call for a more thorough examination of capital punishment cases echoes sentiments Hinojosa expressed on CNN in October. Asked for her position on capital punishment, Hinojosa said she was personally opposed to it but would look at each death penalty case individually. She did not offer support for a blanket ban on executions.

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