Legislators Will Deal With Death Penalty Reform

01/09/2007

Legislators Will Deal With Death Penalty Reform

Legislative leaders don't forsee any roadblocks when they consider rewriting South Dakota's lethal injection law this year.

Legal questions about the death penalty have surfaced in other states. But House Republican Leader Larry Rhoden says most South Dakotans favor the death penalty and support legislative efforts to clarify the procedure for administering it.

The scheduled execution last summer of Elijah Page was delayed because of questions over using two drugs or three. Legislative leaders don't expect any major effort to repeal the death penalty while they clarify the law that's already on the books.