Utah: Senate Votes To Resurrect Execution by Firing Squad

UPDATE - 3/11/15:

Last month, the Utah House of Representatives approved legislation to resume executions by firing squad.

That bill has now been passed by the Senate. The bill which would bring firing squads back as a method of execution, passed with a 18-10 vote. A firing squad would be used if lethal injection was unavailable.

The Bill has now been sent to Gov. Gary Herbert for either a signature or a veto. The Governor's office released a statement, as reported by FOX 13:

As a general practice, Gov. Herbert does not commit to action on a bill until he has reviewed the final version that has passed both the House and the Senate. He is, however, willing to discuss the principles by which he evaluates legislation.

In the state of Utah, aggravated murder is a crime punishable by death. This is a sentence that was determined to be appropriate for crimes where a life was taken in an especially heinous and aggravated manner and was enacted by our Legislature with the support of their constituents. Accordingly, in those cases, as a state, we ask a jury to make the difficult decision to impose the death sentence. When a jury makes that decision and a judge signs a warrant enforcing that lawful decision, we have an obligation to make sure the order can be carried out. Our statute is clear that lethal injection is the method by which that will happen. We have no intent to change that.  

Our Department of Corrections is conscientious and dedicated to making sure that they are able to carry out the order in that manner. However, our state, as is the case with states around the country, is finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the substances required to perform a lethal injection. We are dedicated to pursuing all reasonable and legal options to obtain those substances to make sure that, when required, we are in a position to carry out this very serious sentence by lethal injection. However, if those substances cannot be obtained, this proposal would make sure that those instructed to carry out the lawful order of the court and the carefully deliberated decision of the jury can do so.  

ORIGINAL POST - 2/15:

The Utah House of Representatives approved legislation to resume executions by firing squad, which were stopped in 2004.

The Republican controlled House voted 39-34 on Friday to approve the measure. This measure comes amid  a shortage of execution drugs, which pharmaceutical companies are refusing to provide. Lethal injection is also under review by the Supreme Court.

The Utah Bill proposes that firing squads be used as a back-up if the specified drugs are not available 30 days before the execution, or if lethal injection is deemed unconstitutional.

Until lawmakers changed the law after international criticism and media attention, condemned prisoners could choose death by firing squad.

As reported by USA Today, the bill's sponsor Republican Rep. Paul Ray said:

It is never easy to talk about taking another life, but in our judicial system we have a means that requires that sometimes. We have to have an option, If we go hanging, if we go to the guillotine, or we go to the firing squad, electric chair, you're still going to have the same circus atmosphere behind it. So is it really going to matter?