The Idaho Ways and Means Committee have proposed a new bill that would allow the use of a firing squad as an execution method in the state. House Bill 186 was introduced in the Idaho House of Representatives on Wednesday, sparking controversy and debate.
The bill outlines several scenarios in which a firing squad could be used as the state’s chosen method of execution. If lethal injection is unavailable during an execution, a firing squad would be used instead. Additionally, if lethal injection is ruled unconstitutional, the default method of execution in Idaho will be by firing squad. The bill also provides that the director of the Idaho Department of Corrections will determine the procedure for execution.
Currently, 27 states in the US still have the death penalty by law. However, the use of the death penalty is declining across the country. Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he would not issue execution warrants while in office, continuing a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania. In December, the Death Penalty Information Center released its annual year-end report on the death penalty in the US, highlighting the declining but problematic use of the death penalty across the country.
The proposed use of firing squads in Idaho is just one example of the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty in the US. While some states are moving away from the death penalty altogether, others are considering alternative methods of execution as traditional methods become increasingly challenging to carry out. The future of the death penalty in the US remains uncertain, but it will continue to be a heated debate for years.
REFERENCES:
Idaho lawmakers propose bill to reinstate firing squad for executions