Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers, teared up Wednesday as she stood beside Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson during the signing of a law named after her daughter, who was murdered 16 years ago.
House Bill 1012, also known as "Andi's Law," will guarantee some family members the right to attend the execution of their loved one's killer.
"I'm overwhelmed. It's been a long fight for this, for crime victims and their voices. I'm honored to do it," the first-term lawmaker said. My colleagues "really supported me. They got behind me early."
A group of about a dozen House members filmed the signing on their cellphones. Freshmen Representatives DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, and Laurie Rushing, R-Hot Springs, both rushed to hug Petty and congratulate her after the governor signed it into law.
Petty was one of the first lawmakers in the General Assembly to file legislation, doing so on December 17, before she'd even been sworn in.
Petty said Wednesday that she has worked for several years to pass the bill to entitle family members of the murder victim to be in the viewing room adjacent to the the execution chamber and watch the condemned inmate die.
"It failed a couple years ago, then we did a lot of rewriting and now here we are and I'm just honored," Petty said.
Andi Brewer, Petty's daughter, was kidnapped and killed 16 years ago by the victim's uncle. That man, Karl Roberts, is on death row, but legal challenges have delayed his execution.
Petty's sister, Kristy Fricker, and other family members gathered for a picture with the governor at Wednesday's signing. Petty handed them each pens to commemorate the signing and hugged them. Several, including her sister, have testified during committee hearings over the past month in favor of the legislation.
Before the legislation, up to five family members could watch the execution on a closed-circuit television, often off the prison grounds. The bill includes a compromise with state Department of Correction officials that will allow up to six family members to be present for the execution and allow up to 18 other members to watch on a closed-circuit monitor.
Metro on 02/19/2015