(INDIANAPOLIS) - A Fort Wayne state lawmaker has introduced legislation designed to provoke a direct confrontation over Indiana's use of the death penalty by placing responsibility for executions squarely on lawmakers themselves.
State Rep. Robert Morris, R-Fort Wayne, filed House Bill 1287 for the 2026 legislative session. The proposal, co-authored by Rep. Chris Judy, would dramatically alter how executions are conducted in Indiana.
Under the bill, the warden of the state prison would be required to form an execution team made up entirely of volunteer members of the Indiana General Assembly. No non-legislators could participate, and executions could not proceed unless the team is fully staffed. The bill also requires the names of any lawmakers who volunteer or serve on an execution team to be made public.
Morris, who has said he opposes the death penalty, described the bill as a way to challenge legislators to personally confront the consequences of authorizing executions.
"I was taught from a young age, don't give anyone a job that you don't want to do yourself," Morris said in explaining the proposal.
Supporters and critics alike are expected to react strongly to the measure, which does not eliminate the death penalty but instead reframes responsibility for carrying it out. The bill is intended to spark debate rather than serve as a conventional execution protocol, according to Morris.
House Bill 1287 is currently awaiting committee assignment and could become one of the more controversial proposals debated during Indiana's 2026 legislative session.