Firing squad could become Idaho's main execution method if governor signs bill
The Idaho senate passed the bill on Wednesday, and it will take effect next year if it is signed by the state's governor, Brad Little.
Firing-squad executions have been a back-up method in Idaho since 2023, available only if prison officials are unable to obtain lethal injection drugs.
Representative Doug Ricks, the bill's sponsor, said the legislation was spurred by Idaho's botched attempt to execute Thomas Eugene Creech last year, when execution team members were unable to find a suitable vein for an IV line. He suggested shooting someone was more effective and humane than other execution methods. He speculated that the state could use a machine or 'electronic triggering methods' that would eliminate the need for human volunteers to pull the triggers.
'One thing about this method, it's pretty sure,' Ricks said during a hearing on the bill last month. 'It's not going to be something that gets done part way.'
Four other states – Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah – also allow the use of firing squads in certain circumstances, but the method has rarely been used in recent history. South Carolina is expected to put the first person to death by firing squad in the US in 15 years, with the planned execution of Brad Sigmon planned for Friday.
The Federal Defender Services of Idaho, which represents many of the people on the Idaho's death row, declined to comment on the bill.
Idaho department of correction officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The prison recently finished remodeling its lethal injection chamber to add a space where execution team members can use more invasive methods of inserting an IV line deep into the body near the heart if they can't successfully place an IV line in the condemned person's arms or legs.
Republican senator Daniel Foreman, a retired police officer and former air force veteran who served in combat, was the only Republican to debate against the bill on Wednesday. He said he has seen shooting deaths, and that they are 'anything but humane'.
'The consequences of a botched firing execution are more graphic, more mentally, psychologically devastating' than other botched execution methods, Foreman said.
Democratic senator Melissa Wintrow agreed, calling firing squads 'barbaric' and saying they would create bad optics for the state.
But Republican senator Brian Lenney said lawmakers should remember why capital punishment is imposed.
'If we're talking about terror, and we're talking about barbaric, I think we should remember why this man is on death row in the first place,' he said, describing some of the criminal charges against Creech.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gavin Newsom blasts Trump's 'sick and pathetic' Border Patrol raid 'message' to Dems
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump after Border Patrol agents reportedly arrested a person outside his planned press conference in Los Angeles California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump on Thursday, following the arrival of Border Patrol agents outside his scheduled press conference in Los Angeles, where reportedly one individual was detained. Newsom went on to claim that should Trump manage what he described as "rigging this election," the nation would cease to exist as we know it. Mayor Karen Bass, who arrived at the scene after her office was alerted by a concerned member of the public about the Border Patrol presence, confirmed one person had been taken into custody without a warrant, though this remained unverified at the time. The news comes after a lip reader revealed exactly what Donald Trump and Keir Starmer said to each other on the golf course. "Well, I think it's pretty sick and pathetic, and it said everything you need to know about the setting that we're under. That they chose the time, manner and place to send their district director outside right when we're about to have this press conference," Newsom told reporters. "It said everything you know about Donald Trump's America, and that was top down, you know that for a fact." "He did this intentionally to disrespect the governor, to disrespect this iconic museum, and to disrespect our state. Now, why is this helpful to anybody at all? At this point, this doesn't have anything to do with immigration at all. This is about causing trouble in our city," Bass told reporters outside the Japanese American National Museum, where the event occurred, reports the Mirror US. The White House refused to respond when questioned whether Trump had personally directed Border Patrol agents to target Newsom's gathering. Witnesses supported Bass' allegations about the arrest to the Mirror U.S., claiming they detained an individual without producing a warrant of any sort. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to the Mirror U.S.'s request for comment on the matter. Newsom's press conference was designed to unveil a proposed mid-decade congressional redistricting initiative in reaction to Texas's planned redistricting, which was launched at Trump's urging. Newsom announced the state will stage a Nov. 4 special election to seek voter backing of fresh congressional maps and attempt to secure Democrats an estimated five extra seats in the House of Representatives. Surrounded by numerous national and state-level Democratic figures, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, Newsom declared the state would abandon the redistricting if the various GOP-controlled states retreat from their schemes. "We gotta win, I mean democracy is counting on us, the founding fathers did not live and die to see this moment. There's just too much at stake, and we can roll over and say 'boy, maybe if we don't, maybe they won't continue this process beyond Texas, ' you know, for a fact they will," Newsom said. "At least California can push back and neutralize Texas." California stands among the handful of states boasting an independent redistricting commission that redraws congressional boundaries every decade. Newsom, alongside fellow Democratic lawmakers and campaigners present on Thursday, condemned gerrymandering as a matter of principle yet ultimately acknowledged it was essential to thwart Republican attempts to maintain their slender House majority. "We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country," Newsom said. California legislators must formally announce the special election, which they intend to do next week following a vote on the fresh maps. Newsom and other key figures within the state legislature claim they possess the necessary votes to achieve this.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Moment police tackle man to ground and arrested him in front of White House
The arrest comes after Donald Trump launched into a rant about crime in Washington, claiming it's the 'worst it's ever been' - and said his administration would take control of the city's police Shocking video footage has captured the moment a man is tackled to the ground by police officers, tasered and arrested outside the White House in broad daylight, as onlookers watch with concern. The arrest comes amid President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take control of the Washington DC police department and deploy the National Guard for at least a month, promising a round-the-clock presence of local and federal law enforcement in the city. The White House reported 45 arrests in the city last night, including 29 people living in the country illegally, and said more than 1,650 people are now involved in the law enforcement operation. During a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, Trump ranted about crime in Washington, claiming it's the "worst it's ever been". It comes as Donald Trump 'glitches' as he speaks in Oval Office ahead of Putin summit. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson clarified that while the National Guard can temporarily detain individuals while assisting law enforcement, they do not have the power of arrest. Trump's new measures also include clearing homeless encampments and relocating residents far from the city, although details of the plan remain unclear. Local officials have already started some of the work themselves, aiming to provide stronger social services to those being displaced. During a White House briefing today, Trump claimed that crime in Washington is the "worst it's ever been," calling the situation "tragic" and describing it as an "epidemic." The briefing, held to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, also saw Trump pledge to protect Social Security, boast about "ending Biden's inflation nightmare," and highlight the hundreds of billions in tariffs collected on goods. When asked about his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska tomorrow, Trump said it will "save a lot of lives." He said an even "more important" meeting - with Putin, Zelensky, and possibly European leaders - will follow. "We'll see if they can get along," he said of the leaders, adding that he believes the pair can "make peace." Meanwhile, the Mayor of Washington DC slammed Trump's takeover as an "authoritarian push" as National Guard troops flooded the capital. Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser slammed Mr Trump over his crime crackdown as the US military prepares to patrol the district's streets after the Republican president branded the capital a "lawless" city. Speaking about the move on Tuesday night, she said: "This is a time when the community needs to jump in. To protect our city, to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule. Get to the other side of this guy and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push." The mayor's combative stance comes after she branded the takeover as "unprecedented," although she admitted she was not "totally surprised." The National Guard arrived in the US capital at about 8pm on Tuesday after Trump said he wanted to curb violent crime in the city. Trump activated the national guard following an attempted carjacking involving DOGE employee Edward Coristine, who was beaten while trying to protect a woman. His comments are a stark contrast to his previous responses to crime in Washington DC. Following his inauguration, Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 people convicted or awaiting trio for the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots with more than 600 having been convicted or pleading guilty to assault, or obstructing law enforcement and 170 of having used a deadly weapon. National Guard troops have been seen in the capital with a master sergeant telling The New York Times military Humvees parked on the National Mall was part of a "presence patrol." The Washington Post said Pentagon documents said there could be 600 troops on the ground within a single hour anywhere in the US should they be given approval.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Trump touts eye-popping number of illegal migrants and dead Americans he's kicked off Social Security
President Donald Trump claims that hundreds of thousands of non-citizens and millions of dead Americans have been removed from the Social Security system. The 79-year-old president celebrated the numbers while signing a proclamation commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the Oval Office on Thursday. 'We've already kicked nearly 275,000 illegal aliens off of the Social Security system,' the Republican said. 'These are people, many of them have already left the country, and yet we were sending them checks all the time.' The SSA was quick to back up Trump. 'Under President Trump's leadership, SSA updated the Social Security records of about 275,000 individuals no longer holding legal status, ensuring people ineligible to receive benefits are not improperly paid,' an SSA spokesperson told the Daily Mail. The key phrase here is that the records were 'updated,' as it's unclear whether the SSA was actively paying the individuals. It appears Trump's calculations may be exaggerated. According to the SSA, only 'lawfully present noncitizens of the United States who meet all eligibility requirements can qualify for Social Security benefits.' Trump said nearly 60 million Americans rely on Social Security, the safety net that provides retirees with regular payments. 'Under Biden, Social Security went down like nobody's ever seen. It deteriorated,' he added. Mexican migrants, recently deported after being apprehended in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, wait to be transported to a shelter in a van operated by Mexico's National Migration Institute, in Tijuana, Mexico, July 29, 2025 After Trump touted eliminating taxes on Social Security, his aide, Will Scharf, was forced to correct the president by telling him that a 'vast majority' of Americans will not pay taxes on the benefits. The SSA was signed into law in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a way to help Americans suffering during the Great Depression. It compels citizens to save money that can then support others who are more financially disadvantaged or elderly and unable to work. Trump also celebrated the removal of over 12 million individuals aged 120 or older from the SSA system. The millions of impossibly old Social Security beneficiaries were first identified by DOGE in May. The SSA Inspector General had long suggested a 'cleanup' of SSA records before DOGE identified the suspicious payments. Some identified were 'over 120 years of age, meaning you were breaking records, because I've never heard of anybody at 125,' the president joked. 'There were nearly 135,000 people listed who are over 160 years old, and in some cases, getting payments.' SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano joined Trump in the Oval Office to celebrate the government agency's anniversary and modernization efforts. 'This will be a digital-first agency, and we are building MySSA accounts, that's the digital account, and we have a bold goal of 200 million Americans to have a digital SSA account by the end of next year,' Bisignano shared. 'It will happen, just like we had a bold goal of single-digit wait time on the calls when they were at 40 minutes.' The president also touted his recent Social Security reforms that were passed in his landmark legislative package passed earlier this summer, dubbed the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill.' That package allowed a temporary $6,000 tax deduction on Social Security for those aged 65 and over. According to the White House, Social Security wait times have declined by 23 percent while the agency deals with 70 percent more calls than last year.
