JEFFERSON CITY — Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, is again sponsoring legislation that would require the state auditor to make a one-time report on the costs of administering the death penalty in Missouri. Senate Bill 753 would implement the first comprehensive attempt in Missouri to determine the cost of the death penalty, compared to sentencing individuals to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This is the third consecutive year Sen. Keavney has introduced similar legislation. He noted that Missourians have a right to know how the state’s money is being spent.

“The death penalty is the most serious sentence one can enforce, and we should understand all the aspects of this punishment, from its effectiveness in our criminal justice system, to how it affects Missourians’ pocketbooks,” Sen. Keaveny said. “No formal studies regarding the cost of the death penalty have ever been conducted in Missouri, and it’s past time we educate ourselves on this significant matter.”

Studies in 12 states have concluded that the death penalty costs an additional 30 percent, to up to 10 times more, than seeking life without parole, according to Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. In addition, Kansas state auditors found that death penalty cases cost taxpayers more than $500,000 more per case than other murder cases.

For more information regarding this legislation, contact Sen. Keaveny’s Capitol office at (573) 751-3599 or follow the legislation online at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.