INDIANA (WLKI)- A Republican state lawmaker says he plans to renew his push to make a firing squad Indiana's primary method of execution, restarting a broader debate over capital punishment and how the state carries it out.
State Representative Jim Lucas, a Seymour Republican, said he intends to reintroduce the proposal after a similar bill narrowly failed in the Indiana House earlier this year. The earlier measure was defeated by a 48-47 vote.
Lucas said he believes Indiana should move away from using pentobarbital, the drug currently used in lethal injections. He pointed to Tennessee's recent failed execution attempt involving death row inmate Christa Pike as an example of concerns surrounding the current method.
"We've tried to compromise and work around different things," Lucas said. "But this is something ... keep it simple."
Lucas said he views a firing squad as the most humane available option because he believes it could cause death more quickly than other methods.
"When you look at films, as gruesome as it may seem, it seems to take place instantaneously," Lucas said. "When you are incapacitating the heart, I mean that's as close to instant death as you can get."
The proposal is expected to draw opposition from lawmakers who want Indiana to eliminate the death penalty altogether.
State Representative Bob Morris said he plans to pursue legislation to abolish capital punishment in Indiana, arguing that people sentenced to death can instead be securely housed in prison for the remainder of their lives.
"The reality is we can house these prisoners in a humane manner for the rest of their life," Morris said.
Five states currently authorize executions by firing squad. Idaho is the only state that uses it as the primary method of execution.
Lucas' previous proposal called for three people selected by the prison warden to carry out an execution. Under that version, all of the weapons would contain live ammunition.
Lucas said he is reviewing laws in other states and considering public concerns as he works on a new version of the legislation.
"I want to get this right," Lucas said.
Any new bill would need approval from both the Indiana House and Senate before going to the governor.