TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas legislators are scheduled to begin hearing testimony on two measures regarding the state’s death penalty law, one to abolish the practice and another to shorten the time inmates have to file appeals.
Both bills will come before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Chairman Jeff King, an Independence Republican, has anticipated testimony could spread into next week.
Kansas has had the death penalty since 1994 but has yet to carry out an execution by lethal injection. Currently, there are nine death row inmates.
State senators deadlocked 20-20 in 2010 over a similar death penalty bill.
The appeals process measure was introduced over concern that cases were taking too long because of unspecified time restrictions on court filings and hearings.
