(AP) — A Kansas legislator who opposes capital punishment won’t get the study he wants of the costs of the death penalty.
House Republican Steven Becker is a retired trial judge from Buhler. He has introduced legislation to repeal the death penalty statute and sought an audit of its costs.
The Legislative Post Audit Committee decided Tuesday against pursuing Becker’s request.
The committee’s vice chair, Sen. Jeff Longbine, says there aren’t enough resources to approve all requested audits. But Longbine also says a death penalty audit could be considered in the future.
Kansas has not performed any executions since reinstating capital punishment in 1994.
Becker wants to know how much capital cases cost the state and local governments, and how much could be saved by eliminating the death sentence.
Hmm – paying for a murderer or child molester or rapis to be executed as opposed to paying for them to live out their life in prison while we food, clothe, and take care of their medical needs. Do we really have to wonder which would be cheaper??
I think the problem is we are willing to let someone sit on Death Row for more than five years. Five years should be ample amount of time for witnesses to be found, DNA evidence to be retested, etc. When they reach the five year mark-get the rope and use the gallows again!
As for sexual predators? Since they would need to be confined for such a long time for them to get “treatment”-do the same thing. Five years-you’re treatment is complete, you get released with the requirement that if you commit another sexual offense, Death Penalty time. Immediately after conviction, take them to the town square and hang ’em high! No need to sit on Death Row… Let them get planted and bill their family for the costs of the execution, trial, etc.
The murderers I guess I can agree with you on as far as making sure about the evidence and DNA. The sexual predators – if they are truly guilty – I don’t think they should get a 2nd chance in society – especially when it has to do with children….
What’s the point of asking how much it costs when we don’t even use it?
“Kansas has not performed any executions since reinstating capital punishment in 1994.”
How do you audit something that has not been used? Sure we have the law, but does anyone actually believe it will be carried out?