By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee introduced a bill Tuesday to make the firing squad the first option for executing a condemned person.
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, introduced the bill which changes Idaho’s priority method of execution. Under current law, execution by lethal injection is a first option and the firing squad may be a secondary option if lethal injection chemicals are unavailable.
Should the bill pass, it will not go into effect until after July 1, 2026. The Idaho Department of Correction would still need to construct an area for firing squad executions and IDOC may execute a person by lethal injection if needed before the effective date of the new potential law.
The bill leaves the procedures to be used in any execution to the Director of the Idaho Department of Correction, who is currently Josh Tewalt.
“I see this bill as being less problematic with the courts,” Skaug told the committee.
Skaug stressed that this was not about whether the death penalty was good or bad, but about enforcing sentences already in place.
In October of 2024, IDOC changed its policy around lethal injection to allow the execution team to access a central vein, rather than just a peripheral vein.
A central vein is a major vein in the body, usually in the chest, neck or groin. Access to a central vein requires the insertion of a catheter. A peripheral vein is closer to the skin’s surface, such as in the arm or hand, commonly used in things like a blood draw or establishing an IV line on a patient.
That change came after the failed execution attempt of 74-year-old Thomas Creech on Feb. 28, 2024, in which the medical team could not establish an IV line to carry out his execution by lethal injection. The department called off his execution. Creech remains in IDOC custody.
Over the last two years, the state has passed bills to try and make the chemicals used in lethal injections easier to obtain, such as granting anonymity to suppliers in 2022.
The bill must still have a full hearing before the committee, where public testimony will be heard.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.