Iowa lawmaker calls for legislative hearings on death penalty

A Republican state senator called for Statehouse public hearings on the death penalty during an emotional news conference Friday.

State Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Milo, has championed the idea of reintroducing the death penalty in Iowa since the abduction and killing of Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook, 10, this summer.

Elizabeth's parents joined Sorenson and parents of other missing and murdered children at a Capitol news conference where the senator outlined five pieces of legislation he plans to introduce this session.

Sorenson's bills would:

• Allow for the death penalty in certain cases.
• Require the chemical castration of people who commit serious sex crimes.
• Eliminate earned time in prison for serious sex offenses.
• Require the electronic monitoring of sex offenders.
• Notify hunters when a missing child is reported.

Sorenson also called for public hearings in the House and the Senate on the topic of bringing the death penalty back to the state.