Sample phone scripts for calling Representatives on House Bill 183

• “Hi, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent of Representative ___. I’m calling because I’m opposed to the death penalty and I wanted to express my support for House Bill 183. Ohio has sent 11 innocent people to death row. For every five people Ohio has executed since 1999, one has been exonerated from death row. I hope to see Representative __ vote in support of this bill.”
• “Hi my name is ___ and I live in Representative ___’s district. I’m calling to urge the Representative’s support of House Bill 183, a bill that would repeal Ohio’s death penalty. The death penalty costs taxpayers an average of $1 million more versus a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. And for the millions of dollars spent on this system, we have nothing to show for it. The death penalty does not deter crime and it is not an appropriate response to violence. Ohio has over 2,000 unsolved homicides, and I would prefer the state put funding toward solving those cases instead of seeking a punishment that cannot even be carried out.”
• “Hi, I’m calling as a constituent in Representative ___ ‘s district. I want to urge the Representative to support HB 183, a bill that would repeal Ohio’s death penalty. 23 states have now repealed their death penalty, including the former confederate state Virginia. Virginia has executed more people than any other state. If they can recognize the failings of this system, it’s time for Ohio to do the same. We can hold violent offenders accountable without a death penalty system.”
• “Hello, my name is ___ and I’m calling to express my support for House Bill 183, a bill that would abolish Ohio’s death penalty. A recent poll showed that 60% of Ohioans support repealing the death penalty I’m part of that 60%, and I urge the Representative’s support on this bill.”
• Good morning/afternoon, my name is __ and I’m a constituent of Representative __. I’m calling to express my strong support for House Bill 183 - a bill that would abolish Ohio’s death penalty. The death penalty is incredibly arbitrary based on race. A study in Hamilton county found that black defendants who killed a white victim were over five times more likely to receive a death sentence than other similarly situated defendants. As our nation grapples with racial injustice, we can and must get rid of this racist and arbitrary system.”