South Dakota Lawmakers Discuss Death Penalty Bill

South Dakota Lawmakers Discuss Death Penalty Bill
Updated: February 18, 2007, 12:08 am

A group of South Dakota lawmakers were in Elk Point on Saturday to listen to the people they represent. One of the hot topics.... the death penalty.

As part of what's called the Legislative Cracker-barrel, state lawmakers from the Elk Point area were invited to answer questions about what's going on at the state level.

A bill that allows the prison warden and state corrections secretary to choose the drugs that will be used for lethal injection is on its way to Governor Rounds.

Senator Ken Albers says he supports the death penalty, with a lot of caution.

Sen. Ken Albers, (R) SD Senate, says "I believe the death penalty is appropriate in the worst kinds of cases. And I think we've got statutory law that provides very well to see that it's only done in those kinds of cases."

Representatives Joel Dykstra and Maggie Gillespie say South Dakota hasn't had an execution since 1947. And they say choosing the right mix of lethal drugs and getting it right is critical.

Rep. Joel Dykstra, (R) SD House, says "We don't rush to death...to implement the death penalty but if we're going to have the death penalty for those cases we should be using the standard that's established as the best practices in the country."

Rep. Maggie Gillespie, (D) SD House, says "Nationally there were some problems with the drugs and chemicals being used and so we had to modify our system and uh try to put it in line with what's happening on a national level."