Attorney General Steve Six says abolishing the Kansas death penalty because it would save the state money is a flawed idea.
In his weekly column Wednesday, Six said opponents don’t take into account many cost savings associated with having the death penalty as an option.
Death penalty opponents say it’s cheaper to keep someone in prison for life than to execute the person. But Six said the opponents were relying on a 2003 study he said employed data by interested parties rather than actual costs.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans a Feb. 26 hearing on a bill to abolish the death penalty. It was introduced by Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, who says it would save the state money.
The Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty said Six is “misinformed” about the death penalty. It said the 2003 study used data from a legislative audit.
