logo
Florida Republicans open door to firing squads, lethal gas as they push death penalty expansion

Florida Republicans open door to firing squads, lethal gas as they push death penalty expansion

Fox News26-03-2025

A bill filed in the Florida state Senate would expand the methods by which death row inmates could be executed.
Senate Bill 1604, introduced by state Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, aims to protect Florida's status as a death penalty state if certain execution methods like electrocution or legal injection are made unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or the Florida Supreme Court, or if lethal injection drugs are unable to be obtained in the future.
There is currently a shortage of pentobarbital, the drug used for lethal injections, which has several states scrambling to find alternative execution methods.
If that happens in Florida, the bill mandates that "all persons sentenced to death for a capital crime shall be executed by a method not deemed unconstitutional."
Martin told the Tampa Bay Times that his legislation will ensure that the state fulfills the law and follows through on executions.
Tuesday, the bill passed through the Florida Senate's Committee on Criminal Justice.
Wednesday, state Rep. Berny Jaques, R-Largo, introduced a companion bill in the Florida House of Representatives.
"I filed House Bill 903 because I believe government's primary role is to protect public safety, and the death penalty plays a vital part in that," Jaques told Fox News Digital. "This bill ensures Florida can uphold constitutional death sentences without delay by giving the Department of Corrections the flexibility to use any lawful method if current options become unavailable."
The bill does not specify which alternative execution methods could be used, but eight states already authorize the use of some form of lethal gas as a backup to lethal injection, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. In four of those states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma – nitrogen gas is specifically named as the deadly chemical agent used in such executions.
Four other states allow death by firing squad as an alternative to lethal injection, and South Carolina allows it as an alternative to electrocution, its default method of execution.
In March, death row inmate Brad Sigmon of South Carolina was executed by firing squad. He was the first person in the United States to be executed in that manner in more than 15 years.
Lethal injection is by far the most popular execution method, accounting for 1,431 of all executions since 1976. Electrocution is second, accounting for 163.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Argentina's high court upholds former President Kirchner's conviction
Argentina's high court upholds former President Kirchner's conviction

UPI

timean hour ago

  • UPI

Argentina's high court upholds former President Kirchner's conviction

Argentina's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (pictured in 2013) must serve her six-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo June 10 (UPI) -- Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner must serve her six-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction, the nation's Supreme Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday. The three-judge court unanimously upheld Kirchner's 2022 corruption conviction and ruled she is banned from holding public office. The conviction arises from how awards for 51 public works projects were issued in what became the "Vialidad" trial. Kirchner, 72, received due process, and the "rulings issued by the lower courts were based on extensive evidence assessed in accordance with the rules of sound judgment and the penal code enacted by Congress," the judges wrote in Tuesday's verdict. She had argued that the trial arose from political persecution because she is an influential leader of the opposition to current Argentine President Javier Milei and his government. Kirchner was Argentina's president from 2007 to 2015. She also was Argentina's vice president from 2019 to 2023. She is a popular leftist politician and recently announced she intended to run for a seat during the Sept. 7 Buenos Aires Province legislative elections. If she were to run and win, the victory would have given Kirchner immunity against imprisonment over the four-year term as a provincial lawmaker. The Supreme Court's decision against her makes it impossible for Kirchner to seek any public office. "The republic works," Milei said in a translated statement made during his visit to Israel. "All the corrupt journalists, accomplices of politicians, have been exposed in their operetta about the alleged pact of impunity," Milei said. The Federal Oral Court 2 in December 2022 found Kirchner guilty of corruption, sentenced her to prison and imposed a lifetime disqualification from holding public office due to "fraudulent administration to the detriment of the state." She was allowed to stay out of prison while the Supreme Court deliberated the case. Kirchner similarly was charged with fraud in 2016 and was convicted in February 2021, which made her Argentina's first vice president to be convicted of a crime while still in office. She was accused of and convicted of directing 51 public works contracts to a company owned by Kirchner's friend and business associate, Lazaro Baez. The scheme also directed $1 billion to Baez, who is serving a 12-year sentence for a money-laundering conviction in 2021 and was sentenced to another six years in prison for charges arising from the case that resulted inKirchner's conviction.

House GOP finalizes tweaks to keep megabill on track in Senate
House GOP finalizes tweaks to keep megabill on track in Senate

Politico

timean hour ago

  • Politico

House GOP finalizes tweaks to keep megabill on track in Senate

House Republicans have finalized changes to the party-line tax and spending package the House passed last month, to keep the bill in compliance with Senate rules. An early copy of the amendment House Republicans plan to adopt this week, first obtained by POLITICO, would make changes to biofuel policy and other provisions. By nixing items the Senate parliamentarian has flagged, the bill will retain its 'privilege' and can pass the Senate without having to overcome the filibuster. House GOP leaders plan to approve the tweaks in the Rules Committee later Tuesday and adopt them on the floor on Wednesday, according to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Brevard County election 2025 results for Florida Senate District 19, House District 32
Brevard County election 2025 results for Florida Senate District 19, House District 32

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Brevard County election 2025 results for Florida Senate District 19, House District 32

Who are the winners and losers in the June 10, 2025, Brevard County special election? Voters in Brevard County cast ballots with their picks in the Florida Senate District 19 and Florida House District 32 races. The winners of the April 1 Republican primary election faced Democratic candidates in Tuesday's special general election. The Florida Senate District 19 election will fill the seat left vacant by Randy Fine, who resigned to run for Congress representing the Daytona Beach area. Primary winner Republican Debbie Mayfield faced Democrat Vance Ahrens. Florida's House District 32 seat was vacated by Debbie Mayfield, who is seeking to return to the Florida Senate after being term-limited out and winning this seat in November. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that she was eligible to once again seek her former Senate seat in the special election. Republican Brian Hodgers won the primary and faced Democrat Juan Hinojosa in the special general election. ➤ Dig Deeper: Ultimate voter guide to Brevard County June 10, 2025, special general elections Follow along below for the latest election results, continually updated until all ballots are counted. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. Use the Brevard County voter information look-up to check your voter registration and party status. To find your Brevard County polling place, check the voter precinct look-up or your voter information card. To see a sample ballot for your Brevard County precinct, check the county elections office website. Support local journalism by subscribing to Florida Today. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard County election results: Florida D19, House D32

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store