Lacking the votes to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska, foes of capital punishment have shifted their attention to the costs of putting convicted murderers to death, reports the Omaha World-Herald. Sen. Brenda Council is proposing a study by the state auditor to document the costs of the death penalty. “The death penalty should not be immune from consideration of its costs,” she said. “We should determine if we’re spending the taxpayer dollars wisely or not.”
A Kansas study found that death penalty cases were 16 times more expensive than murder cases that only had the possiblity of a life sentence. Sen. Mike Flood, a death penalty supporter, said that there’s no doubt death penalty cases cost more. “They should, because the state is taking someone’s life,” Flood said. The extra cost, he said, is worth it because some murders are so heinous that the ultimate punishment is warranted.