"Repeal tests Senate," is the title of John Milburn's AP report for the Arkansas City Traveler.
Sixteen years ago, Gov. Joan Finney allowed a death penalty bill to become law without her signature.
The feisty Democrat said she was doing so because it was the will of Kansas' people.
Senators are prepared to give that law its first significant review when they debate in the coming days a bill to ban capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without parole.
Supporters of the bill said the impetus lies again in the will of the people.
"I don't think it's a bad idea to review a significant public policy on a regular basis," said Sen. Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat. "We wouldn't be having this debate if the people of Kansas hadn't brought it before us. We didn't dig this up."
The bill is a revision of a measure that emerged last year in the Senate and would end the state's practice of sentencing defendants to die for committing the most heinous crimes.
Earlier coverage from Kansas begins with this post.
Comments