House Bill 2282 was introduced on February 12th. It has 32 sponsors—the most ever for a Kansas abolition bill! There are 15 Republican sponsors and 17 Democratic sponsors. A hearing was held on February 19th in House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. Twenty people provided written or oral testimony in support of ending the death penalty. … [Read more...] about House Abolition Bill Achieves New Firsts!
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Death Penalty Abolition Legislation Introduced!
Bills to replace the Kansas death penalty have been filed in both the House and Senate. SB 21 was introduced on January 17th and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 2282 was introduced on February 12th and referred to House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. Both bills would end the death penalty for the most serious murders in Kansas … [Read more...] about Death Penalty Abolition Legislation Introduced!
Abolition is a Non-Partisan Issue
Many Kansans used to think that a politician’s stance on abolition could be predicted by what party he or she was representing. The 2010 Senate vote showed the fallacy of that belief. Twelve Republicans and eight Democrats supported abolition, and nineteen Republicans and one Democrat opposed it. The most recent abolition bill, HB 2167, introduced in 2017, continued the … [Read more...] about Abolition is a Non-Partisan Issue
"What I saw set my soul on fire…"
“They killed a man with fire one night. They strapped him in a wooden chair and pumped electricity through his body until he was dead.” …I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. What I saw set my soul on fire, a fire that burns me still. And now here is an account of how I came to be and still am.” (Sr. Helen Prejean) Sr. Helen shared first hand accounts at KU on March 5th … [Read more...] about "What I saw set my soul on fire…"