"Critics say Kan. death penalty law must go," is the title of John Milburn's AP post. It's via the Hutchinson News.
A leading death penalty opponent says it's time for Kansas to stop sentencing criminals to be executed after the latest appealed conviction was overturned, the sixth such reversal in six cases before the state's high court.Donna Schneweis, chairwoman of the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty, says she realizes the odds of repealing the 1994 law are slim, but a growing segment of society is changing its view on capital punishment in the United States.
"It was a concept that people wanted to try," she said. "We think the death penalty fails as a policy. As legislators learn more about it, they will see that it doesn't make sense."Policymakers say the Kansas law works and should remain on the books despite the overturning of convictions by the state Supreme Court.
And:
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has spoken out in the past about the death penalty, including his presidential run in 2007 when he said the nation should strive to create a culture of life. He said at the time that it should be held out for special cases, such as Osama Bin Laden or other terrorist figures.
Sherriene Jones Sontag, the governor's spokeswoman, said Friday that Brownback supports the death penalty "when there are no other options to protect society."
House Minority Leader Paul Davis, a Lawrence Democrat and attorney, said ongoing discussions about the death penalty law are healthy, but not likely to produce changes. Davis supports the limited law, but agrees the public views are changing.
"I think it's something we're going to be talking about for quite a while. Once an execution occurs people may want to bring the discussions more into the light," Davis said.
The last execution in Kansas was in June 1965 by hanging.
Earlier coverage from Kansas begins at the link.
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