Utah Legislators Pass Bill Allowing Firing Squads If Lethal Injection Chemicals Unavailable
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Credit: Mehmed Zelkovic/Getty Images(SALT LAKE CITY) — Utah lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that would ensure that if lethal chemicals are not available for use in the execution of the death penalty, inmates could be executed by firing squad.
The legislation, which would still need to be signed by Governor Gary Herbert before it would become law, was proposed as a state House bill and passed the state Senate by an 18-10-1 vote. It would make Utah the only state to use a firing squad as a fallback option for death penalty use.
6:07PM #HB11 final passage 18-10-1 on #UTSenate floor. http://t.co/Ed0cOO9qhl
— Utah Legislature (@UTLEGtracker) March 11, 2015
The legislation reads that “the method of execution for the defendant is the firing squad if the sentencing court determines the state is unable to lawfully obtain the substance or substances necessary to conduct an execution by lethal intravenous injection 30 or more days prior to the date specified in the warrant issued upon a judgement of death.”
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