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Tennessee's Use of Electric Chair Target of Protesters

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Representatives of the Nashville based United Methodist Church were on Legislative Plaza Tuesday to protest the State of Tennessee’s decision to reinstate use of the electric chair in capital punishment cases.

The Reverend Mark Kelly of Arlington United Methodist Church helped organize the event. He said Methodists from all over the mid-state and from Memphis planned to attend. He said participants will be praying and signing petitions to be sent to the governor and legislators.

“In the Gospel of John, when Jesus was presented with an opportunity to say ‘Yeah!’ or ‘Nay!’ to capital punishment – the woman caught in adultery – he told those around him, ‘Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.’”

This past week, Governor Haslam signed into law a measure that allows the state to use electrocution as a means of execution if the drugs used for lethal injections can’t be obtained.

State’s using lethal injection as a means of execution have had trouble obtaining the require drugs because drug makers are reluctant to be associated with capital punishment.

Tennessee is the first state in the nation to choose electrocution as an alternative. The new law will go into effect the first of July.