Boise, Idaho – The Idaho State Senate passed a bill by a veto-proof majority Monday which would permit execution by firing squad for death row inmates. The option would become available if the state is unable to acquire the drugs needed for lethal injections.
The final vote was 24-11. The Idaho State House approved the legislation back on March 3 by a 50-15-5 vote, which is also a veto-proof majority.
The bill now goes to Idaho Republican Governor Brad Little’s desk. While Little is a strong proponent of the death penalty, he has not said whether he will sign the legislation into law.
But even if he issues a veto, Idaho lawmakers have the numbers to override it.
Idaho previously allowed death by firing squad but never utilized the method. As reported by Live Now Fox, the state legislature removed the option in 2009 after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld death by lethal injection.
Accused serial killer Bryan Kohberger could be the first. The Gateway Pundit previously wrote about this possibility back in February.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newson was peeved over the idea of firing squads. He trashed Republicans for not valuing the lives of society’s worst individuals.
He failed to mention the substantial number of innocent Californians gunned down every day by violent criminals, however.
Other leftists on Twitter threw a tantrum as well.
📌I’ll tell you something, Idaho has lost it’s damn mind. https://t.co/vkc0v4T2TU
— D. Earl Stephens ✍️ (@EarlOfEnough) March 21, 2023
White Christian Republicans are hell-bent on turning the United States of American into a barbaric 3rd-world country run by vengeful white Christian Republicans.https://t.co/6Vj6uWJXXU
— Kim Eckert🌻 (@akim_eckert) March 21, 2023
The red states might as well be the Afghanistan of America.https://t.co/8wVL4bL3WI
— Adam B. Bear (@democraticbear) March 21, 2023
Mindboggling.
So were a bunch of Idaho Republicans gathered one night for a bout of good ol’ drinking, degrading of women and minorities, and looking at child porn when someone said, “Hey, you know what I REALLY miss?! EXECUTIONS BY FIRING SQUAD!!! Let’s bring that shit back!” https://t.co/U8gd4kDo3c
— Yours Truly, Satch Palooka 💙😷💉🌻 (@SethPalooka) March 20, 2023
The truth is death by firing squad is arguably the most humane form of execution. Dr. Jonathan I. Groner, a professor of surgery at Ohio State University, explained to FiveThirtyEight that based on his professional experience, death by firing squad is quicker and causes less suffering than any other form of execution.
There’s pain, certainly, but it’s transient. If you’re shot in the chest and your heart stops functioning, it’s just seconds until you lose consciousness.
Deborah Denno, a Fordham University law professor and death penalty scholar, agrees. She told NewsNation last year that firing squads are “more humane” than lethal injection because of “efficiency” and “certainty.”
They are more efficient. They’re also more certain.
Death penalty proponents also cannot ignore the number of botched executions by lethal injection. One study found that more than one-third of all lethal injections were mishandled just last year.
The risk for execution failures is far lower with firing squads because the individuals involved are trained marksmen.
Credit to Idaho for making a common sense and humane decision. More states need to follow suit.
* Article From: The Gateway Pundit