Lawmakers introduce bill to abolish death penalty in Ky.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — One of the several bills state lawmakers will discuss when they reconvene next month is Senate Bill 45 which aims to abolish capital punishment in Kentucky.

The bill was filed by a bipartisan group of state Senators and would not only abolish the death penalty but would replace it with life imprisonment without parole.

While the death penalty is still legal in Kentucky, there has been a stay of execution that was put into place in 2010.

Gov. Andy Beshear shared his thoughts on the bill in Thursday’s Team Kentucky update.

“Actually sat with my dad during our last execution in the state of Kentucky, but I do believe there are some crimes that are so horrific the existence of the death penalty,” he said.

Beshear also acknowledged that there are discussions about the cost of the death penalty versus life in prison, and said he looks forward to having those conversations.