(MENAFN) Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed a bill allowing execution by firing squad, making Idaho the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment as lethal injection drugs become increasingly scarce due to pharmaceutical companies barring their use for executions. The bill was passed by the Legislature with a veto-proof majority, and firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections.
The shortage of lethal injection drugs has prompted other states in recent years to revive older methods of execution. Some states have refurbished electric chairs as standbys for when lethal drugs are unavailable, while others have considered largely untested execution methods. Only Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have laws allowing firing squads if other execution methods are unavailable, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. South Carolina's law is on hold pending the outcome of a legal challenge.
Idaho's new law has drawn criticism from some who argue that firing squads are inhumane and could cause severe pain. However, supporters of the bill argue that death by firing squad is a humane method of execution and necessary to ensure that the rule of law is carried out.
Governor Little acknowledged concerns about the stress on corrections personnel and the need to ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out, but he emphasized the importance of following the law. He wrote in a transmittal letter after signing the bill, "For the people on death row, a jury convicted them of their crimes, and they were lawfully sentenced to death. It is the responsibility of the state of Idaho to follow the law and ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out."
The federal government also issued a protocol allowing firing squads for federal executions if necessary during a historic round of 13 executions in the final months of Donald Trump's presidency, but that method was not used. Some lawyers for federal inmates who were eventually put to death argued in court that firing squads would be quicker and less painful than the sedative pentobarbital, which they said causes a sensation akin to drowning.
However, in a 2019 filing, U.S. lawyers cited an expert as saying someone shot by firing squad can remain conscious for 10 seconds and that it would be "severely painful, especially related to shattering of bone and damage to the spinal cord." President Joe Biden's attorney general, Merrick Garland, ordered a temporary pause on federal executions in 2021 while the Justice Department reviewed protocols, but it is unclear how long the moratorium will last.
In conclusion, Idaho's new law allowing execution by firing squad highlights the ongoing debate around capital punishment and the use of older methods of execution due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs. While supporters argue that firing squads are necessary to ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out, critics raise concerns about the inhumane nature of the method and the potential for severe pain. The use of firing squads for executions is a controversial issue that continues to divide opinions.
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