For Immediate Release Contact: Sen. McKibben
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006 (515) 281-3371
McKibben Calls on Kreiman to Move Death Penalty
in Judiciary Committee
DES MOINES – Sen. Larry
McKibben (R-Marshalltown) today called on Senate Judiciary Co-Chair Keith
Kreiman (D-Bloomfield) to let the full Senate Judiciary Committee consider
Senate File 2010. The bill would reinstate a limited death penalty for
those who kidnap, sexually assault and murder anyone under the age of 18.
The legislation faces its
first legislative hurdle on Tuesday, Feb. 7 when a judiciary subcommittee is
scheduled to consider the bill. As co-chair of the subcommittee, Kreiman
plays a key role in moving the bill forward to be considered by the entire
16-member Judiciary Committee.
McKibben called on Kreiman to
move the bill following Tuesday’s verdict in the Roger Bentley trial.
Bentley was found guilty of first degree kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old
Jetseta Gage of Cedar Rapids.
After the verdict, Gage’s
family members said the punishment does not fit the crime and called for Iowa to enact the death
penalty. First-degree kidnapping and first-degree murder are each
punishable by life in prison.
“We need to close the
loophole in our law that provides no additional punishment for people like
Bentley who sexually assault and then go on to murder their young
victims. An overwhelming majority of Iowans support the death penalty for
child killers and it’s wrong for Senate Democrats to block debate on this
bill,” said McKibben.
The subcommittee on Senate
File 2010 will meet at 12 p.m. in Room 22 of the Statehouse on Tuesday, Feb. 7
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