A bill has passed the state House that would add electrocution, gas chamber and firing squad as legal methods of execution, should a judge block the use of lethal injection drugs.
House Bill 638 will move to the Senate where it is expected to face strong opposition and debate.
Currently, lethal injection is the only legal execution method in Mississippi but is facing lawsuits claiming the drugs use violates constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said Monday, at a press conference that the U.S. Supreme Court has already approved such methods and that their use would not be in violation of the 8th amendment.
As of 2017, Oklahoma and Utah are the only states to have firing squads as execution options.
