Capital Punishment Law Passes

Capital Punishment Law Passes
Friday, February 16, 2007

PIERRE (AP) -- The path to South Dakota's first execution since 1947 finally was cleared Wednesday.

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 Gov. Mike Rounds.

HB1175 finished its legislative journey with 26-7 approval in the state Senate.

Rounds had the bill drafted after calling off the execution of Elijah Page in August at the last minute. Page wants to be executed for kidnapping, torturing and killing a Spearfish man in 2000.

The execution was delayed when Rounds found out prison officials planned to use three drugs but state law allows only two.

The new law lets those who are currently on death row to choose the old two-drug cocktail for lethal injection or whatever new mixture state officials come up with.

Page is to die in early July.