By Journalist Olivia Kopang (OSU)
On Thursday afternoon, Senator Jake Saunders introduced bill OBU-010 to the body. The bill titled “Execution Reform” Act of 2024.
Under the provisions of the Execution Reform Act, the method of administering the death penalty undergoes a profound transformation. Instead of conventional means such as lethal injection or electrocution, executions would be carried out through the administration of a lethal quantity of drugs until death is pronounced by a licensed physician, adhering to accepted standards of medical practice.
OBU-010 doesn’t only suggest using a lethal amount of drugs but offers other options when that lethal quantity is deemed unfit for the situation. Subsections B and C propose that if the lethal quantity of drugs is deemed unconstitutional “by an appellate court of competent jurisdiction or is otherwise unavailable,” then nitrogen hypoxia, electrocution, or last resort, a firing squad will be used.
For quite a long time, the issues and concerns individuals have about the death penalty have only grown. What this bill really aims to do is give an individual some amount of human dignity and minimize undue suffering.
Some argue that people undergoing the death penalty have committed crimes deemed horrible enough to be put to death, so why do they deserve to die with dignity? The bill’s response to this is quite simple: all human beings deserve some amount of dignity when the decision of when or how they are going to die is stripped away from them.
Senator Phyllis Bell (OU) agreed with the positives and negatives of the bill.
“OBU-010 is a really interesting bill. We effectively got rid of long, cruel executions. However, we kept other forms. I would call it bittersweet. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction.” OBU-010 is another example of how the capacity of young leaders to engage with complex social issues and propose forward-thinking solutions is limitless. Inspired by a commitment to justice and servant-leadership values, Rep. Saunders certainly navigated the sensitivity around such an important topic.