Following a vote of 24 to 11 from Idaho state lawmakers on Tuesday, a new piece of legislation will now make execution by firing squad a possible punishment in the state once more.
The state legislature’s website shows that House Bill 186 will now be sent to Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s (R) desk, where it should have no issue being signed into law.
“H186 has now passed the Idaho Senate and House with a veto-proof majority,” state Rep. Bruce Skaug shared in a statement to CNN. “Upon signature of the Governor, the state may now more likely carry-out justice, as determined by our judicial system, against those who have committed first-degree murder.”
In the bill, the state will now be able to administer the death penalty by firing squads, but only when the drug needed for lethal injections cannot be obtained.
The move from Idaho comes following recent issues with obtaining the required drugs for lethal injections, resulting in several executions being paused and inmates filing lawsuits arguing the injections are inhumane.
With lawsuits questioning the ethics of lethal injections, the bill also allows for firing squads to be used if a court finds the alternative to be unconstitutional.
Idaho is not the first, but rather the latest state to pass legislation that approves the use of firing squads. The last to do so was South Carolina, which passed its measure in March 2022. Mississippi, Utah, and Oklahoma are the other three states to also permit the practice, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Utah was the last state in the country to use a firing squad when convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed in 2010.
The Idaho Department of Correction will need to go through modifications to meet the “safety and execution requirements for the firing squad.” A note tied to the bill explained it would cost nearly $750,000.
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