By: Lily Amback / News & Opinion editor and Lydia Styf / Staff Writer
Firing squads, as a form of death penalty, has never been officiated in Indiana. But, with House Bill 1119, they almost were.
On the bill’s third reading, it failed. It needed a majority of 51 votes, but was just three short with 48 for it and 47 against it.
The bill was proposed as a way to lower the cost of the death penalty, which currently uses pentobarbital for lethal injection. However, this drug can cost up to $300,000 per dose, an expense which the state has to pay.
State Representative Jim Lucas believed that the use of a firing squad would be more cost-effective. However, the morality of firing squad usage is questionable.
Lucas’s fellow representatives raised concerns that this inhumane way of performing executions would be a step back to medieval times.
Not to mention, this bill would have allowed for the public to watch the execution of convicts. Prior executions were required to be administered in Indiana state prison walls before sunrise, but the bill attempted to erase these guidelines.
This plops us right into the middle of a dystopian novel. For instance, in “The Hunger Games” series, citizens of the districts are lined up with blindfolds covering their eyes and shot as an example to rebels. This was often done in front of crowds that were forced to watch and televised as a warning.
Instead of a firing squad bill, the House is now looking at the legality of the governor of Indiana to have the ability to deploy the national guard. This bill allows the governor to activate the national guard in crisis situations and allows for unwarranted searches and seizures.
This bill passed the House and has now moved onto the Senate for another voting session.
This bill will give way too much power to the governor of Indiana. It should not be within their power to hold unwarranted searches and arrests. Warrants were created for a reason. Indiana cannot just discard them now, especially with recent events concerning ICE in Minnesota and their unwarranted street arrests.
If this bill were to pass, it would allow the governor to create a police state on command under the guise of public safety and concern. With the vague conditions of “emergency and crisis” allow for the governor to interpret this wording however they would like. This is dangerous to all citizens in the state, regardless of political standing.
