INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO) — An Indiana Republican lawmaker is preparing another attempt to make the firing squad the state’s primary method of execution, reopening a debate over the death penalty and how the state carries it out.
State Representative Jim Lucas, a Republican from Seymour, plans to reintroduce legislation after his previous proposal narrowly failed earlier this year, losing by a 48-to-47 vote.
Lucas argues that Indiana’s current execution method, which relies on the drug pentobarbital, raises concerns about the reliability and effectiveness of lethal injection. He pointed to Tennessee’s recent failed execution attempt involving Christa Pike as an example of the problems that can arise with the use of execution drugs.
Lucas said previous efforts to find a compromise had not produced the changes he wanted, and he is now looking to simplify the state’s approach.
“We’ve tried to compromise and work around different things, but this is something, you know, the old acronym: keep it simple, stupid,” Lucas said.
The lawmaker contends that a firing squad would provide a more humane alternative to lethal injection. He argues that a method intended to incapacitate the heart could bring about death more quickly.
“When you look at films, as gruesome as it may seem, it seems to take place instantaneously,” Lucas said. “When you are incapacitating the heart, I mean that’s as close to instant death as you can get.”
Lucas’ position faces opposition from another Indiana Republican, State Representative Bob Morris, who is preparing legislation to abolish capital punishment altogether.
Morris argues that Indiana can protect the public without executing people sentenced to death, maintaining that prisoners can be held securely for the remainder of their lives.
“The reality is we can house these prisoners in a humane manner for the rest of their life,” Morris said.
The competing proposals reflect a broader disagreement over the future of capital punishment in Indiana: whether the state should change how it carries out executions or eliminate the practice entirely.
Five other states authorize firing squads, according to the report by WPTA. Idaho is the only state identified as using the firing squad as its primary execution method.
Lucas’ previous proposal outlined a process in which three people selected by the prison warden would carry out an execution, with all weapons loaded with live ammunition.
He is reviewing execution laws in other states and considering public concerns as he develops a revised bill. Lucas has not yet finalized the new proposal, but said he wants to address potential issues before bringing it back to lawmakers.
“I want to get this right,” Lucas said.
The renewed legislative effort comes amid scrutiny of execution procedures and disagreement among Indiana lawmakers over whether capital punishment can be carried out humanely. Lucas wants to change the method, while Morris is pursuing a more fundamental change by seeking to end the death penalty.
Lucas’ proposal must return to the Indiana General Assembly for consideration. Its prospects remain uncertain after the earlier version failed by a single vote.
