Tennessee firing squad bill set aside in committee
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A bill that would allow the state to conduct executions by firing squad was set aside in a state House committee Wednesday because of its cost.
Why it matters: The death penalty in Tennessee has been in limbo since last year, when problems with its lethal injection protocol came to light.
- Efforts to alter the process underscore how complicated the issue is.
Catch up quick: Gov. Bill Lee halted an execution last April after it was discovered that officials hadn’t conducted required testing on the lethal injection drugs. A third-party investigation found the state hadn’t been following its own protocol since 2018.
- Lee ordered a leadership shakeup at the Tennessee Department of Correction and asked prison officials to revise the protocol and related training.
State of play: Rep. Dennis Powers (R-Jacksboro) said his firing squad bill could offer a way to address "some of the problems we've had."
Yes, but: In a filing submitted last year in a federal lawsuit, the state stated that "TDOC does not know where it would begin to address firing squad safety measures and contingencies."
- The filing also references the high cost of building a safe space and paying for training hours, among other concerns.
- The bill was sidelined in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee on Wednesday because of the associated costs, which aren't funded in the governor's budget proposal. The panel could revisit it after considering the budget.
Meanwhile: A separate bill to make lethal injection records public has lost momentum, per Tennessee Lookout.
The big picture: Tennessee is one of many states to confront complications related to lethal injections. Some have struggled to get the needed drugs, which major pharmaceutical companies won't provide. Others have struggled with quality control and efficacy.
- Lawmakers in Idaho are advancing a firing squad measure after prison officials said they could not get lethal injection chemicals.
- In South Carolina, where officials also haven't been able to get lethal injection drugs, the high court is considering the legality of firing squads and the electric chair.
- Alabama paused executions last year after a series of failed lethal injections. Officials there are preparing a protocol for using nitrogen gas.
What we're watching: A TDOC spokesperson tells Axios the agency "is currently conducting a thorough review of its protocol." A new commissioner, Frank Strada, started in January and is "committed to making the appropriate operational updates."
- Any changes are likely to trigger court challenges.
- "Even a small change in your protocol gives those on death row a new issue to raise," Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, tells Axios.