Indiana is at a crossroads — and we must speak out before we take a devastating step backward. A new bill, Senate Bill 11, would make execution by firing squad a legal method of capital punishment in our state. This practice, once associated with Civil War-era justice, would join Indiana with just five other states that have legalized such an archaic and brutal form of execution.

State lawmakers pushing this bill claim it’s merely a “backup option” if lethal injection drugs are unavailable. But opponents — including public defenders, human rights organizations, and religious leaders — are clear: this bill is unnecessary, inhumane, and could invite serious constitutional violations. Legal experts warn it may violate protections against cruel and unusual punishment, especially in cases where executions go wrong — as they have in other states.

SB 11 would shroud the process in secrecy, protecting the identities of those who carry out the executions and hiding information that could reveal mistakes or abuses. Indiana already blocks public and media access to executions, and this bill would make it even harder to hold the state accountable for its actions.

This is about “trading expensive drugs for inexpensive bullets,” as one public defender put it — all while ignoring the deep flaws and immense cost of our death penalty system. Since 1990, Indiana has spent over $30 million on defense costs alone in death penalty cases — before a single guilty verdict is even reached. And today, only five people sit on Indiana’s death row.

We should be moving away from the death penalty — not doubling down with violent, outdated methods. Across party lines, many Indiana lawmakers and residents agree. Now, it’s time to show them the public is watching.

We call on Governor Mike Braun, Senator Mike Young, and members of the Indiana General Assembly to immediately reject Senate Bill 11. 

Add your name to stop this bill.