Several Republicans legislators are renewing their push to bring back the death penalty in Iowa — this time for people convicted of the first-degree murder of police or correctional officers.
Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965, but lawmakers have repeatedly drafted proposals to bring it back in some limited instances — with little success.
A bill proposed during the last legislative session would have allowed capital punishment only if an adult defendant was found guilty of kidnapping, sexually abusing and murdering a minor. That bill advanced through a committee but never received a debate on the floor.
Why do some lawmakers want to bring back the death penalty?
A three-person panel of lawmakers on Monday debated new legislation, Senate Study Bill 3085 , and voted to advance it to a full committee.
“I know there’s a lot of conversation about (how) this doesn’t deter anybody” from committing murder, said Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf. “But that closure that those parents need, or the wife or the husband or the kids need, should be considered also. I agree with that. This is a difficult situation. And I believe that we should back our police officers and our peace officers.”