The Kansas Legislature passed House Bill 2578 on April 8, 1994. The bill reinstated the death penalty for the crime of capital murder, as defined in the bill. In 1972, the U. S. Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia overturned capital punishment laws in many states, including Kansas. The murder of 19 year old college student Stephanie Schmidt in 1993 prompted reinstatement of the law, ending 22 years of debate. Though opposed to capital punishment, Governor Joan Finney allowed the bill to become law without her signature, April 22, 1994. The absence of the governor's signature is apparent on the official enrolled version of the bill represented here.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
An act concerning crimes and punishments and procedures relating thereto - 3