Bill introduced to replace Kentucky death penalty with life without parole

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KBSI) — A bill in the Kentucky Senate would eliminate the death penalty, replacing it with mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole, and it is drawing sharp reactions from advocates, law enforcement and residents across Kentucky.

Senate Bill 350 would remove capital punishment as a sentencing option under Kentucky law. Supporters of the measure argue the state should not have the power to carry out executions, while opponents say the death penalty remains necessary for the most severe crimes and can provide a sense of closure for victims’ families.

Russell Allen, executive director of the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said his organization believes Kentucky should end capital punishment entirely.

“We just categorically believe that the state should not have the ability to take a life,” Allen said.

Allen also pointed to the current makeup of Kentucky’s death row population as part of the broader argument to end the practice.

“We have 24 people right now on death row. The average age is above 60. And about one-tenth of those people are in their 70s,” Allen said. “It’s well past time for us to take a look at that, and to do the right thing and to get those folks off death row.”

The proposal comes as Kentucky has not carried out an execution in nearly two decades. Efforts to repeal the death penalty have surfaced in past legislative sessions, but similar proposals have not advanced into law.

Some law enforcement leaders, however, say the death penalty should remain available in Kentucky’s justice system — especially for cases involving extreme violence.

McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman said he does not believe a life-without-parole sentence carries the same impact for families affected by the most serious crimes.

“I can’t imagine that it would bring the same closure that the death penalty would,” Norman said. “I think for the most severe crimes, we should have the death penalty.”

The debate is also playing out among community members following the proposal. One viewer, Austin Huffman, submitted a response through FOX23’s NOW app said the issue raises concerns about the risk of wrongful convictions, while also acknowledging that some cases may warrant the harshest punishment.

“Historically there have been cases where people have been sentenced to death and later found out to be innocent and if it’s not caught in time, that’s horrific,” Huffman said. “I feel like some crimes are so heinous that life imprisonment just doesn’t cut it.”

Senate Bill 350 has not yet received a scheduled hearing, and it is unclear how far the measure will advance during the legislative session.