A joint com­mit­tee of 32 sen­a­tors and rep­re­sen­ta­tives held the first pub­lic hear­ing on Kentucky​’s death penal­ty since cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment was rein­stat­ed there in 1975. The hear­ing was prompt­ed by a death penal­ty repeal bill pro­posed by Republican Rep. David Floyd, who said the death penal­ty should be end­ed because of the cost and time it takes for cas­es to com­plete the appeals process. He was also con­cerned about the num­ber of death penal­ty cas­es that have been over­turned. A 2011 study by the American Bar Association found that 64% of the death sen­tences they exam­ined were lat­er over­turned or com­mut­ed. Rep. Floyd said, ​“Conservatives in gen­er­al have less trust in gov­ern­ment. Why would we trust them in a mat­ter of life and death? If peo­ple are giv­en the oppor­tu­ni­ty to con­sid­er all those things, they may come to the same con­clu­sion, that life with­out parole is a bet­ter option for Kentucky.” Kentucky has car­ried out three exe­cu­tions since rein­state­ment, but exe­cu­tions are cur­rent­ly on hold while a judge reviews the state’s lethal injection protocol.

(B. Barrouquere, ​“In Kentucky, exe­cu­tion debate finds new foot­ing,” Associated Press, August 1, 2014). See Recent Legislation and New Voices.

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