Posted on 03/25/2022 8:35:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Kentucky would make the death penalty off-limits for some defendants diagnosed with severe mental illnesses under a bill that won final legislative approval Friday.
The Republican-led Senate voted 25-9 to send the measure to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, capping a long effort led by death penalty opponents to restrict the use of capital punishment.
Another proposal that crossed the finish line after languishing for years would require future constables and deputy constables to obtain training and law enforcement certification before wielding police powers. The bill won final Senate passage 23-11 and goes to Beshear's desk.
With four days left in the 60-day session, stacks of bills are awaiting final decisions by the GOP-dominated legislature. Lawmakers have plenty of heavy lifting ahead, highlighted by work to finish a new two-year state budget and to decide on tax legislation. The House has endorsed phasing out individual income taxes while extending the state sales tax to more services.
Two contentious bills dealing with charter schools and safety net programs are awaiting Senate decisions. One measure would allow initial charter school openings in Kentucky, targeting Louisville and northern Kentucky. The bill would set up a permanent funding stream for charters. The other proposal would tighten rules for public assistance programs.
High-profile bills to legalize medical marijuana and sports betting in Kentucky are struggling to garner Senate support after winning House passage. Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer acknowledged the uphill fight for the sports wagering measure, which he supports.
“It’s going to have a hard time getting the votes to pass,” he said Friday. “It’s still alive. It’s been assigned to a committee. But it’s going to take a lot of energy to get it moving over the next few days.”
Lawmakers are scheduled to be in session next Tuesday and Wednesday before taking an extended break to give the governor time to review bills and decide which ones to sign or veto. They're scheduled to reconvene for two wrap-up days in mid-April before ending the session.
On Friday, supporters of shielding severely mentally ill defendants from the death penalty achieved their yearslong goal with Senate passage of the measure. Death penalty foes have failed to make headway with legislation seeking an outright abolishment of capital punishment in Kentucky.
Under the bill headed to the governor, the limited death penalty ban would apply to defendants with a documented history — including a diagnosis from a mental health professional — of certain mental disorders and who had active symptoms at the time of the offense. The disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and delusional disorder.
“It in no way absolves defendants of legal responsibilities for their crimes," Republican Sen. Julie Raque Adams said in presenting the measure. "They can still be tried, convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including life without parole.”
The bill would not be applied retroactively to the 26 prisoners now on Kentucky’s death row.
In opposing the bill, Thayer portrayed it as a “slippery slope for getting rid of the death penalty.”
Calling himself a death penalty proponent, Thayer said: “I think it is an appropriate punishment for someone who has committed the most heinous of crimes by taking someone else’s life, found guilty by a jury of their peers and sentenced to death.”
Last year, similar legislation passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Since then, the bill’s supporters consulted key senators in crafting the revised version that cleared the legislature.
The last execution in Kentucky was in 2008.
Meanwhile, the bill requiring training for future constables wanting to wield police powers also triggered a long Senate debate Friday. The bill would not apply to current constables.
It would require people assuming the role starting in 2023 to receive certification like other law enforcement officers before exercising such police powers as making traffic stops and arrests.
In urging support for the measure, Republican Sen. Wil Schroder said: "Should someone who’s going to arrest an individual in the commonwealth of Kentucky ... have training? To me, that’s not a hard question.”
Republican Sen. Ralph Alvarado opposed the bill, saying it would “effectively do away with this office.” Opponents say not nearly enough training slots will be set aside for future constables. Alvarado said the measure would worsen policing shortages in rural Kentucky, echoing objections raised during the House debate. “This is going to hurt law enforcement, particularly in rural counties,” Alvarado said. Supporters said future constables not obtaining the training would still retain various duties, including serving subpoenas, directing traffic, providing funeral escorts and collecting fees.
One per customer?
Nine if by cat.
Look for all the murderers to be labeled with severe mental illnesses
Certainly all the females
No death penalty for schitzos? Build some institutions for these people then, i don’t want to wait around for them to harm someone before we lock them up. . Seriously, make it a mandatory institutionable offense to be off your meds then.
Stupid Party is the GOP.
Only thing worse than having a republican governor is having a communist governor...
Most republican governors are RINOs & squishy, at best...
Time to let the state counties each have one vote to choose/elect the governors?
That just happened in Dallas. That 4 year old kid Cash Geshon who was murdered by a Dindu Nuffin. Well, regarding the murderer the judge just ruled that he was too incompetent to stand trial.
Another example of "white" privilege.
We usually have problems getting Pro-Life bills marked up in Kentucky. Have no idea why with veto-proof Republican majorities. Did we get the Roe trigger law passed? Should. Guess more Libertarian members here will disagree with me but remain suspicious of and oppose camel’s nose under the tent drug legalization efforts. And they’re picking up a bit of steam here. Just seen too many people damaged by supposedly harmless pot. Like Rand Paul, will vote for him yet again but disagree with the hemp stuff and don’t like all the CBD ads on conservative talk radio.
Ironically they are validating the Bell Curve.
Being low iq isnt a reason to declare they are not responsible.
Kentuckians get to pay for convicts for life! What a bargain! Thank you Republicans
Welll we know how this wokes i mean, works. The peeps they don’t want on death row will have a competent mental health examiner produce the right diagnosis so the aspiring rappuhs, antifa creeps, illegal aliens or immigrants, etc etc will avoid the death penalty no matter how heinous the crime.
Kentucky, yu are going down a slippery slope so sad
I’m sorry but allowing a killer to live because of a temporary or even permanent mental issue does not make their victim un-dead. An eye for an eye is a good rule.
Certainly all the females and most black males
It has always bothered me that people think mentally ill shouldn't be executed, as if their illness should give them some sort of waiver for the consequences of what they have done.
From my perspective, the mentally ill should absolutely be executed if they have committed murder. Even more so than a sane murderer. The threat they to other people's lives is even greater because of their lack of rationality.
We shoot rabid dogs. We do not agonize over how the dog came to be rabid or the belief that it's not the dog's fault it is rabid.
It represents a danger, and we eliminate that danger.
This is common sense. Refusing to execute insane murderers is itself insane. They do not need to know what is happening to them, and they do not need to understand why they are being executed.
It serves no societal interest to keep these people alive. This is a stupid idea and we should stop doing it.
OR
Commit them all to a desert island but give them a stack of drugs and a dull paring knife before dropping them off at the island. I'm certain that others there would welcome them with open arms!
The 90% dead solution....
Since mental hospitals have been closed nationwide-—WHAT are they intending to do with such prisoners???
Turn them loose on you if you live in Kentucky. They have their armed guards and gates that can securely locked. it is open season on the sheep.
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