Arizona Lethal Injection Amendment, Proposition 103 (1992)

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The Arizona Lethal Injection Amendment, also known as Proposition 103 and House Concurrent Resolution 2014, was on the November 3, 1992 election ballot in Arizona as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. It was approved.

This proposed amendment to Article XXII changed the method of administering the death penalty from lethal gas to lethal injection.

Election results

Arizona Proposition 103 (1992)
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		1,040,535	76.77%
No		314,919	23.23%

Official results via: State of Arizona Official Canvass

Text of measure

The text of the ballot read:

“

OFFICIAL TITLE House Concurrent Resolution 2014 A concurrent resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Arizona; amending Article XXII, Section 22, Constitution of Arizona; relating to judgments of death. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE Amending Arizona Constitution to change the method of administering the death penalty from lethal gas to lethal injection except that defendants sentenced to death prior to this amendment would be given the choice of execution by lethal injection or by lethal gas.

”

Constitutional changes

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring: I. The following amendment of article XXII, section 22, Constitution of Arizona, is proposed to become valid when approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon and on proclamation of the Governor: 22. Judgments of death Section 22. A. The judgment of death shall be inflicted by administering lethal gas AN INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF A SUBSTANCE OR SUBSTANCES IN A LETHAL QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DEATH EXCEPT THAT DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR OFFENSES COMMITTED PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDMENT TO THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE THE CHOICE OF EITHER LETHAL INJECTION OR LETHAL GAS. THE LETHAL INJECTION OR LETHAL GAS SHALL BE ADMINISTERED UNDER SUCH PROCEDURES AND SUPERVISION AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW. The execution shall take place within the limits of the state prison. 2. The proposed amendment (approved by a majority of the members elected to each house of the Legislature, and entered upon the respective journals thereof, together with the ayes and nays thereon) shall be submitted to the qualified electors by the Secretary of State at the next regular general election, or at a special election called for that purpose, as provided by Article XXI, Constitution of Arizona.

Note: Deleted language is crossed out, added language is capitalized.

Path to the ballot

Proposition 103 was placed on the ballot by HCR 2014.
House votes:

• Ayes - 34
• Nays - 23
• Not Voting - 3

Senate votes:

• Ayes - 21
• Nays - 9
• Not Voting - 0

House concurs in Senate amendments and final passage

• Ayes - 43
• Nays - 12
• Not Voting - 5

Support

Arguments in favor of the amendment included:

• Lethal injection is a more humane way to put condemned prisoners to death.

Opposition

Arguments in opposition of the amendment included:
There were two distinct arguments in opposition to this proposition.

• The first was that cyanide gas is not cruel and unusual punishment for those who have inflicted such horrors on their victims and those victims' families.
• The second of the arguments was that there was no humane way to execute another person and changing the method merely glosses over the bigger issue of state-sanctioned executions.

See also

Suggest a link

• List of Arizona ballot measures
• Arizona 1992 ballot measures
• 1992 ballot measures

External links

• State of Arizona 1992 Ballot Propositions guide
• Arizona Department of State official website