skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump attacks Liz Cheney using violent war imagery; Election insights: What 50 Ohioans want to hear from candidates; Consumer groups slam CA Supreme Court ruling on lemon law; On National Brush Day, new resources in KY to boost oral health.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris says her campaign is prepared for Trump to prematurely claim victory, Pennsylvania election officials say safeguards in the system are preventing vote fraud, and Montana Senate race could hinge on the "political refugee" vote.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

Poll: Kentuckians Want Executions Halted Until Problems Fixed

play audio
Play

Monday, August 1, 2016   

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A new poll finds that nearly three out of four Kentuckians want executions halted in the state until problems with the system are fixed – problems that were exposed in a 2011 report from the American Bar Association.

The poll, conducted by the University of Kentucky Survey Research Center, shows that 72.4 percent of those questioned would support a move by the governor to stop executions until the broken system is repaired.

University of Louisville criminal justice professor Gennaro Vito says the poll results send a clear message to state lawmakers.

"You may have to question, given the problems we've had with the administration of the death penalty in this state, why we would continue to use it, when so many Kentuckians are in favor of the sentence of life without parole in place of the death penalty," he states.

The poll finds that while in the abstract a majority of Kentuckians support the death penalty, when they are informed of problems with its administration, including its cost and length, 64 percent favor making life without parole the maximum sentence.

Yet, the Kentucky General Assembly has repeatedly rejected legislation to abolish capital punishment.

During this year's legislative session, when the House Judiciary Committee debated the issue, Rep. Gerald Watkins said for some defendants, execution is justice, not life behind bars in the state's maximum-security prison.

"I wouldn't want my mail delivered there, but I will tell you that is not punishment,” he states. “Their lifestyle is much better than a lot of other people's out on the street."

But, the Rev. Patrick Delahanty, chair of the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, says the poll results show that, unlike some lawmakers, Kentuckians are not locked into wanting the death penalty.

"The real solution would be to take the death penalty off the table and use a more cost effective, severe punishment that protects the public, like life without parole," he stresses.

The poll finding that when cost is factored in, 68 percent of Kentuckians want the death penalty abolished.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Signal Ohio found overarching issues such as climate change, reproductive rights and safety were on the minds of many Ohioans. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Election Day approaches, the online outlet Signal Ohio interviewed 50 people across Cleveland and Akron to find out what is on the minds of …


Environment

play sound

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Social Issues

play sound

Millions of Californians buy used cars still under a manufacturer's warranty - but consumer groups say those warranties are now essentially unenforcea…


Even with the rise of social media and email blasts, traditional "Get Out the Vote" rallies are seen by experts as key to helping boost participation in elections. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota…

Environment

play sound

As North Carolina communities continue to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Helene, they have faced a new obstacle: A surge of misinformation is …

As of Oct. 31, Minnesota election offices had accepted nearly 1 million absentee ballots. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In the final sprint toward Election Day, some Minnesotans might worry their absentee ballot won't arrive in time. Experts say there's no cause for …

Social Issues

play sound

New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system. The state …

Social Issues

play sound

By Mariah Alanskas for Kent State NewsLab.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021