The bill to allow voters to abolish the death penalty was authored by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley.
The legislation, SB490, was approved in July by the Assembly Public Safety Committee and moved to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
If ultimately approved by the Senate and Assembly, the proposal would go on the November 2012 statewide ballot. If the voters approve, it would abolish capital punishment in California and convert all death penalty sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Prior to her election to the State Senate in 2008, Hancock served three terms in the State Assembly. She also was the first woman elected mayor of the City of Berkeley (1986-1994), the executive director of the Shalan Foundation, and served in both the Carter and Clinton Administrations.
Hancock currently represents the 9th Senatorial District, which includes the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond and San Pablo.
Born and raised in New York, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College in 1963 and her master’s degree from the Wright Institute in 1978. She moved to Berkeley in 1964, where she lives today with her husband, Mayor Tom Bates. Sen. Hancock has four children and seven grandchildren.
Hancock has been a leading advocate for investing state resources in rehabilitation programs, job training, and employment because she understands that these and similar programs reduce inmate recidivism. As chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee #5 on Corrections and Public Safety, Hancock said she seeks to examine programs at all levels of the criminal justice system and implement sound policies that reduce prison overcrowding while protecting public safety.
She said she believes that California’s corrections system is an expensive failure and requires a fundamental restructuring. As a start, Hancock is working to bring government closer to the people by allowing local governments to carry out vital law enforcement services in a more effective and efficient manner.
Hancock has introduced legislation to provide case management and evidence-based programming to inmates in their last year of incarceration, and bring transparency and accountability to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Office of the Inspector General. Previously, she has introduced legislation to improve education programs in state prison and require the CDCR to provide inmates with a California identification card upon release of incarceration.
Since entering the state Legislature, Hancock tells supporters she has vigorously championed government reform. In 2009-10, she chaired the Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee. She introduced two major Senate Constitutional Amendments aimed at reducing gridlock and increasing the effectiveness of the Legislature. SCA5 would have replaced the two-thirds vote formerly required to pass a budget with a simple majority vote and SCA24, which would change California’s term limits requirement so experienced legislators are available to solve the problems facing California.
As an Assembly member, Hancock authored AB583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act. It sought to reform campaign financing by providing full public financing for statewide elections. AB583 establishes a pilot project to make public financing available to candidates for Secretary of State so they can wage competitive campaigns without soliciting money from special interests.
