Is it true that nobody's view on the death penalty can be influenced by its costs?

The question in the title of this post is inspired by this notable story coming from Nebraska, which is headlined "Nebraska lawmakers turn down death penalty study."  Here are the basics:

The Legislature split 22-22 Thursday on authorizing a $50,000 study of what it costs to have a death penalty in Nebraska, leaving the question of taxpayer costs unanswered for the time being. Senators opposing the idea expressed concerns that such a study could gather accurate numbers and information.

A response to an inquiry on costs last year by Sens. Danielle Conrad and Jeremy Nordquist to Attorney General John Bruning said the attorney general's office had never tracked the expenditure of its funding on a case-by-case basis. It had never had a budget in which funds were specifically identified for capital punishment.

Opponents also discredited past studies on criminal justice issues and questioned whether knowing the costs would change anyone's mind about supporting or not supporting capital punishment.

Senators opposed to the death penalty have made it "very clear," they don't care about the costs, said Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh. "It's going to cost us $50,000 and I wonder what we'll find out. And I wonder what we could have done with that $50,000, especially now," he said.

Omaha Sen. Brenda Council, who sponsored the bill (LB1105), said it is important that senators who decide public policy know as much as possible about the policy they are voting on. Money has been an important topic of discussion in this year's session as senators look toward mounting budget shortfalls.... "We need a dispassionate analysis of maintaining this program of government," she said.

Other states have undertaken these cost studies, she said. But some senators have rejected using other state's costs in discussing Nebraska's death penalty.

Last year's approval of lethal injection seemed to settle the issue of the death penalty, said Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash. "Some of you have argued that we can't put a price on justice, and I can agree with that," he said. "But I don't find it to be a compelling argument for ignoring what justice costs. "We don't have anything to fear from figuring this out."

Even capital punishment's staunchest proponents would agree better data make for better debate, no matter the subject matter, said Lincoln Sen. Bill Avery.

Lincoln Sen. Tony Fulton, who has in the past voted against repeal of the death penalty, voted in favor of the cost study. "I have no fears or concerns about getting data," he said. "It's important to have good, solid data when making decisions about taxpayer dollars."...

The issues of law, justice, punishment and consequences are incredibly complex, said Judiciary Chairman Brad Ashford. It is extremely hard work to decide how to deal with the behaviors out there that affect all of us. "If we can't study in-depth the ultimate punishment for the crime of first-degree murder," he said, "how are we ever going to sort out the other parts of our sentencing law?"

I wonder if the Tea Party Movement had any input in this debate, as I would expect that the members of that party would be eager to know the cost of any and every government program and would be (justifiably?) concerns that a lot of government waste and inefficiency surrounds the application of the ultimate punishment for the crime of first-degree murder in Nebraska.

Relatedly, I would think that at least some members of the all the political parties might have their views on the death penalty influenced by a sober accounting of its costs.  I am certain ardent proponents and ardent opponents of the death penalty (whose voices far too often dominate the debate) are very unlikely to have their views changed based on cost data.  But I would suspect that a tangible (and sizable?) percentage of voters (and politicians?) do not hold ardent views on this issue and thus might be influenced by an effective accounting of the costs of a government-run, single-payer death penalty system.

Some recent related posts on the costs of capital punsihment:

• NY Times editorial assails "High Cost of Death Row"
• Georgia struggles to pay for a costly capital system
• The challenging economics of death causing problems in Chicago
• Great new (though still dated) examination of the death penalty and plea bargaining
• CNN now talking about the costs of the death penalty and state reforms 
• States considering laying off the death penalty during tough economic times
• The economic case against the death penalty getting more and more attention
• More discussion of cost concerns in debates over the death penalty
• Capital case cost concerns continue to inform reform debate
• Still more discussion of the costs of the death penalty
• "Opponents Focus On Cost In Death Penalty Debate"
• New DPIC report assails costs (and opportunity costs) of death penalty administration