State Senator Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, discussed a proposed bill to allow the death penalty for child rape cases during a Wednesday radio appearance.
During an episode of conservative talk show “Rightside Radio,” Givhan discussed a bill to permit prosecutors to seek the death penalty for sex crimes involving victims younger than 12 years old.
The bill was proposed by state Senator April Weaver, R-Alabaster, and state Representative Matt Simpson, R-Fairhope, following the uncovering of a child sex trafficking and abuse case in Bibb County.
Simpson pursued similar legislation during the 2025 Legislative Session—introducing a bill which would have allowed the death penalty to be given to those 18 or older convicted of first-degree rape or sodomy in cases where a victim was less than six years old. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives but failed to make it to the Senate floor.
“Everybody’s just sitting there going how can you fathom—how can you take it in?” Givhan said of the case out of Bibb County. “It’s just like these people don’t need to be in our society.”
Givhan pointed to how the proposed bill could be assigned to either the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee or the Senate Judiciary Committee.
When asked by “Rightside” host Phil Williams which committee would be “more favorable” for passing a death penalty bill, Givhan said he believed if the bill is assigned to the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee, it could see a quicker road to passage.
“I think there are a few more Republicans on the veterans and military affairs committee compared to the judiciary committee,” Givhan replied.
The Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee had two Democratic members out of its 10 total members during the 2025 Legislative Session, while the Senate Judiciary Committee had three Democratic members out of its 14 total.
The senator said he believed “there’d be momentum” for Weaver and Simpson’s proposed bill to be passed in the Statehouse next year.
“Senator Weaver seems like she wants to take this up, and [Bibb County] being her home district; she’s probably going to get to carry the ball on this,” said Givhan.
Williams pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Kennedy v. Louisiana, which held that the death penalty, for cases that do not result in a death, violates the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, asked Givhan whether he believed legal precedent could pose a threat to the proposed bill’s passage.
Givhan responded by criticizing opponents of the death penalty who have critiqued Alabama’s use of the death penalty, including nitrogen hypoxia executions, as cruel, and said he has considered firing squad executions as a potential remedy for difficulties sourcing chemicals for enacting the death penalty.
“Since people complain about manner of execution so much and litigate that, I have thought about introducing a bill for firing squads,” Givhan said. “I mean that is a very long, historic way of commencing, carrying out executions.”
“I think probably lethal injection is probably the best way to go, but people don’t want to sell us the drugs to put that together. I mean there are plenty of bullets down at Cabela’s,” the senator continued.
“I’m for it,” Williams replied. “I tell you what, after watching the stuff happen, unfolding out of Bibb County, I’m for public lynchings while we’re at it.”
The lawmakers’ proposed legislation has not yet been prefiled for the 2026 Legislative Session.
However, a press conference has been scheduled by Simpson and Weaver for Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Alabama State House to formally announce the bill. Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade, who is leading the current investigation into sex trafficking in Bibb County, alongside Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Alabama Sheriffs Association Executive Director Huey “Hoss” Mack, will also participate in the conference.
