Governor Brad Little Signs Controversial Bill, Expanding Capital Punishment Options in the State
In a move that has sparked national debate, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed a bill on Wednesday making Idaho the only state in the U.S. to designate the firing squad as the preferred method of execution for capital punishment. The new law, set to take effect next year, represents a significant shift in the state’s approach to the death penalty.
The firing squad’s return
The legislation comes just days after the state carried out its first firing squad execution in 15 years. On Friday, Brad Sigmon, 67, was executed in this manner after being convicted of the 2001 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. Sigmon was pronounced dead nearly three minutes after being shot by three volunteer prison employees, marking a grim milestone in the U.S. death penalty landscape. Sigmon’s execution raised further questions about the use of the firing squad, especially as its use in the country had been largely dormant in recent years.
A growing divide over capital punishment
Idaho’s decision to make the firing squad the primary method of execution signals a broader shift in the state’s handling of capital punishment. The state, which has nine inmates currently on death row, has not executed anyone in over 12 years. The death penalty debate in the state intensified last year when an attempt to execute Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S., failed. Medical personnel struggled for nearly an hour to establish an IV line to administer a lethal injection, ultimately preventing the execution from proceeding.
New law secures firing squad, keeps lethal Injection as Backup
According to reports from The Idaho Statesman, the new bill passed with overwhelming support from the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. More than two-thirds of lawmakers backed the measure, which not only designates the firing squad as the preferred method but also retains lethal injection as a backup option. Governor Little, who approved a similar bill in 2023 allowing firing squads as an alternative to lethal injection, has expressed his preference for the latter method.
The decision to make firing squads the primary method was spurred by the botched execution of Creech, with bill sponsor Rep. Bruce Skaug (R-Nampa) arguing that the problems with lethal injection highlighted the need for alternative methods of execution. “The botched lethal injection of Thomas Creech illustrates the systemic failures of that method,” Skaug said in a statement following the bill’s passage.
Impact on death row inmates and high-profile cases
The new law could have significant implications for the eight current death row inmates in Idaho, as well as for future cases. Among those potentially affected is Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the highly publicized University of Idaho murders. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty against Kohberger, should he be convicted in the quadruple murder trial set to begin later this year. Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and one charge of felony burglary.
Controversy and national reactions
Governor Little’s signing of the bill has ignited a fresh round of debate on the death penalty in the U.S. While proponents argue that the firing squad offers a more reliable and humane alternative to lethal injection, critics contend that it is a step backward for a country grappling with ethical and legal concerns surrounding capital punishment.
Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Little’s office for comment but has not yet received a response. As the debate intensifies, Idaho stands as a stark outlier in the nation’s evolving views on the death penalty, with its new law placing it at the center of a highly charged conversation about justice, morality, and the future of capital punishment.