Death Penalty, Racial Profiling Proposals Await Lawmakers
Abolishing the death penalty, making racial profiling a crime and setting up government health insurance for all Kansans are among a wide range of proposals already in the Legislature's in-basket.
Kansas' death penalty leaped to the forefront after the Kansas Supreme Court earlier this month ruled unconstitutional the state's capital punishment law, saying the way juries weighed different factors in sentencing was unfair to the defendant. Atty. Gen. Phill Kline has said he will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Several lawmakers have indicated the law can be amended during the session to comply with the court's ruling in future cases, but others have said the whole issue of the death penalty will be under review, especially since the state recently established a law that provides life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Posted by katherine at 12:46 PM
