Topeka ? Legislators have scheduled hearings this week to review the cost and effectiveness of Kansas’ death penalty law.

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its work Tuesday.

A bill was debated last year that would have prevented new death sentences after July 1, 2009, but the bill was sent back to committee for more work.

Kansas enacted its death penalty law in 1994, but there have been no executions since it took effect.

Many legislators say there appears to be little chance that the death penalty will be ended in Kansas.

But Judiciary Committee Chairman Tim Owens says there’s merit in periodically reviewing the law.