This is not in any way lessening due process for those who are convicted and are facing the death penalty,” said Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the bill’s lead sponsor.

Idaho House lawmakers quickly – and relatively quietly – adopted a bill making the firing squad the state’s primary execution method.

The Idaho House on Thursday widely approved a bill to make death by firing squad the main death penalty method in Idaho. If passed into law, Idaho could become the only state to have death by firing squad as the primary death penalty method.

The Idaho Department of Corrections is taking steps to reconfigure a portion of the state's largest prison to prepare to execute inmates by firing squad.

House lawmakers will soon decide whether to ditch lethal injection as the state’s primary execution method in favor of the firing squad.

This bill is not about whether the death penalty is good or bad,” Idaho Republican Representative Bruce Skaug stated. “Our job is to carry it out in the most efficient manner under the bounds of our constitutional requirements.

In an effort to help Idahoans follow major bills, resolutions and memorials through the legislative process, the Idaho Capital Sun will produce a “legislative notebook” at the end of each week to gather information in one place that concerns major happenings in the Legislature and other news relating to state government.