Forget Lethal Injection—Idaho Opts for Guaranteed Results

Idaho isn’t playing games when it comes to capital punishment. After a high-profile botched execution attempt in 2023, the state is taking a no-nonsense approach by making death by firing squad its primary method of execution, as reported by Corrections 1.

Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 37 into law on March 12, a move that cements the firing squad as the top method on Idaho’s list starting next year.

The bill gained traction following the state’s failed attempt to execute convicted murderer Thomas Eugene Creech.

Elon Musk Called This Financial News ‘Terrifying’

During that debacle, prison officials couldn’t find a viable vein to administer the lethal injection, essentially stalling the process and reigniting the debate over execution methods.

Senator Doug Ricks, who sponsored the legislation, didn’t sugarcoat the issue. He said the firing squad is not only more efficient but arguably more humane than some of the supposedly modern alternatives.

“One thing about this method, it’s pretty sure. It’s not going to be something that gets done part way.”

He even floated the possibility of using mechanical or electronic triggers to remove the human element from the execution process altogether—adding precision and eliminating the moral dilemma for those who would otherwise have to pull the trigger themselves.

FREE Concealed Carry Gun Laws & Reciprocity Map

This change is a bold response to the increasing difficulty states face in securing lethal injection drugs, often due to pharmaceutical companies bowing to leftist pressure and refusing to supply them. Idaho is done begging. It’s opting for certainty over public relations theater.

Idaho now joins a small group of states—Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—that permit firing squads in certain situations. But despite being legal in these places, executions by firing squad have remained rare.

In fact, South Carolina’s Brad Sigmon was the first person in 15 years to be executed this way in the U.S.

The Idaho Department of Corrections has remained tight-lipped on the bill, offering no official comment. However, they’ve recently remodeled the state’s lethal injection chamber to include equipment for more invasive IV access, a move that signals they’re still preparing for future complications with lethal injections.

Not all Republicans were on board. Sen. Daniel Foreman, a former police officer and Air Force veteran, was the lone GOP voice opposing the bill. Drawing from personal experience, he warned:

“The consequences of a botched firing execution are more graphic, more mentally, psychologically devastating.”

But Sen. Brian Lenney offered a stark reminder about the gravity of capital punishment:

“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.”

Idaho’s decision sends a clear message—justice delayed is justice denied, and the state refuses to let bureaucratic red tape or activist meddling stand in the way of carrying out the law.

American Made Patriotic Apparel – Save 15% with Promo Code MERICA