Idaho moves to make firing squad primary execution method

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Representative Skaug presented legislation in the judiciary committee on Tuesday that would turn the firing squad into Idaho's primary form of execution.

The firing squad is currently the secondary method when lethal injection drugs are not available. The Idaho Department of Corrections is slated to begin construction on a firing squad location, meaning the bill would not go into effect until mid-2026.

Representative Skaug says that the Idaho legislature has already found that the firing squad is a legal method of execution, meaning the question about this bill should not be about the ethics of using the firing squad but about the most efficient way to carry out an execution.

The drugs used to create the lethal cocktail in lethal injection have become increasingly more difficult to source as manufacturers have wanted to distance themselves from their products being used to execute people. The results have left states that still employ the death penalty in an awkward spot, ultimately looking for other methods of carrying out the executions.

The Idaho Department of Corrections failed to obtain the drugs needed to execute Gerald Pizzuto two years ago. After obtaining the lethal injection drugs, IDOC then failed to establish an IV line while attempting to execute Thomas Creech. Controversial changes to execution protocols now allow IDOC medical staff to utilize a central line.

Rep. Skaug says that there have been executions by firing squads in the United States in modern history and they have been found to be constitutional by past Supreme Courts. The bill unanimously passed the Judiciary Committee.

Source: idahonews.com, Staff, January 22, 2025

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