HB 2782—Execution by Hypoxia+ Hearing:
On February 8th the House Judiciary Committee introduced HB 2782 to provide an alternate method of execution, by infliction of hypoxia, and to also make changes in the legal process. The bill also would make changes in who chooses the drugs for lethal injection. The bill was requested by the Attorney General’s office.
A hearing was held on February 15th with proponent testimony from the Attorney General’s office and KBI, the law enforcement community’s lobbyist, and several capital murder case murder victim family members. Opponent testimony was diverse—from murder victim family members, the legal community, medical experts, religious and civil rights perspectives, and more.
One of the persons speaking against the bill was Floyd Bledsoe who, despite being innocent of the murder he was convicted of, spent sixteen years in Kansas prison before he was exonerated by DNA. Mr. Bledsoe shared with legislators how that murder was capital eligible. If he had been convicted of capital murder the provisions of the bill would have had him executed before he could have been exonerated. His point is well taken given that Kansas has a documented history of convicting innocent persons and sending them to prison.
During the hearing, District Attorney Marc Bennett of Wichita talked about what the death penalty litigation does to victim families. He said, “What I finally tell people now is what a death sentence means is that you will….you will buy yourself thirty years worth of this process.”
To read testimony, click here. Testimony on HB 2782 starts on tab 2.
To view the hearing, click here. Another bill was heard first, so advance the timeline to 3:57 p.m. to get to HB 2782.
As of first turnaround the bill remained in House Judiciary. Theoretically it means this specific bill (2782) is finished for this year. There was a news media report on February 25th that a new bill on the same topic is likely coming via an exempt committee so it has a longer time to be acted on.