CAMPUS/AREA UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, March 9,1994
7
Houses split on death penalty
Senate, House each pass bills, but still can't agree on scope
By Stephen Martino
Kansan staff writer
Differences between death penalty bills recently passed by the House of Representatives and Senate threaten to split proponents of the legislation
The House passed a broad death penalty bill Feb. 11. The legislation included the possibility of death for all instances of premeditated murder, as well as felony murder. This provision would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for people involved in a crime that resulted in someone's death, even if the accused did not kill the victim.
The Senate passed a more narrow death penalty bill March 1. The Senate bill named seven occurrences where the death penalty could be applied. They are:
— and possibly sink the bill itself.
premediated killing during a kidnapping if the kidnapper intended to hold the victim for ransom.
murder of an individual for money, which covers contract murders.
intentional murder of an individual during a rape, sodomy or aggravating sodomy.
murder of an inmate or a guard if the murderer is an inmate.
murder of a law-enforcement officer.
■ murder of more than one person as part of the same act.
murder of a child under 12 during a kidnapping if a sexual offense against the child was intended.
The disparity between the bills has created a conflict between the two houses. During the debate on March 1, State Sen. Dick Rock, D-Akansas City, a key supporter of the Senate bill, said he would not support any legislation stronger than the Senate bill. And he is not the only one.
"I don't think the Senate can pass anything more," said State Sen. Mark Parkinson, R-Olathe and chief sponsor of the Senate bill. "We went through hell to get what we got."
Other House members, such as State Rep. Greg Packer, R-Topeka, who introduced the House bill, have said that the Senate bill would not accomplish much.
"It's weak," he said. "It's not really going to perform. But we will have something to go with on the books and strengthen later."
Parkinson said that eight persons last year would have been eligible for the death penalty if the Senate bill had been law.
And last year, no law-enforcement officers and one prison guard were murdered, said Mary Ann Howerton, director of the Statistical Analysis Center for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
However, Parkinson said, the possible deterrence of those eight people was enough to justify the death penalty law.
Howerton said that about five multiple murders were committed last year. The only other murder that would qualify under the Senate restrictions, she said, was the murder of Stephanie Schmidt, a Pittsburg State University student killed in July.
"Would one of those people have thought twice about what they were doing before they did it?" he said. "I have a hard time thinking it wouldn't change some minds, and if it only saves one or two lives, it would be worth it."
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Panelists set to discuss African American issues in rescheduled forum
A panel discussion originally scheduled for Feb. 23 and canceled because of weather will take place tonight.
The discussion, called "Impediments to Black Empowering; Past and Present", will take place at 7 tonight at Snow Auditorium in Snow Hall. Admission is free.
The panelists will be Arthur Drayton, professor of African and African-American studies; Barbara Ballard, director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center; Flecia Thomas, director of the Multicultural Affairs Office at Washburn University; Maurice Bryan, director of the Office of Affirmative Action and assistant executive vice chancellor; and Sherwood Thompson, director of the Office of Minority Affairs.
Students charged in theft
Three KU students were arrested Monday on felony charges of aggravated burglary, forgery and theft in connection to a stolen checkbook.
According to KU police reports, two of the suspects — female students — entered a room in McColum Hall while the student who lived there slept. One of the women woke the student and talked while the other woman stole the student's checkbook. After the women left the room, they turned the checkbook over to the third suspect, a male student.
POLICE said the male suspect then had forged one of the checks to pay for a pizza he had ordered.
According to the report, the male student said that he couldn't remember what had happened because he was drunk. One of the two women said that she had entered the victim's room to borrow a cigarette and that she didn't know what the other woman had done.
The students were taken to Douglas County jail and held without bond. They were arraigned yesterday in district court.
Compiled from Kansan staff reports
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