The Utah state Senate voted Tuesday to become the first state to reintroduce execution by firing squad. If signed by Gov. Gary Herbet (R), who hasn't said if he will, it would require the state to use the method if lethal drugs aren't available 30 days before a scheduled execution. The bill comes as several states have experienced shortages of drugs used for executions.
Republican Rep. Paul Ray sponsored the bill, saying death by firing squad is more humane than lethal injections that can become drawn out. However, Democratic Rep. Brian King and the Death Penalty Information Center point out that a firing squad can miss the heart and cause a more slow and painful death.
The last time the state used a firing squad was in the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner. Gardner's death sentence was a holdover from before the state eliminated firing squads in 2004.
[via BuzzFeed]
