Instead of continuing to tinker with a death penalty system that is broken beyond repair, South Carolina legislators should repeal the death penalty.

Today, South Carolina legislators will debate an unconscionable bill. H. 3755 would make the electric chair the default method of execution in South Carolina if the director of SCDC certifies lethal injection is not available. Under current law, the person facing execution may choose between lethal injection and electrocution as the method of execution and lethal injection is the default method if the person does not choose between the two methods. 

H. 3755 misses the underlying problem. It is unconscionable that legislators are debating methods of execution when South Carolina’s death penalty system is unreliable and arbitrary.

In addition to being broken beyond repair, the death penalty is also expensive and ineffective.

Instead of continuing to tinker with a death penalty system that is broken beyond repair, South Carolina legislators should repeal the death penalty.