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(Salt Lake City-AP) -- The Utah Senate passed a bill today that would ban executions on Sundays, Mondays or holidays.
Prison officials say the state can avoid paying overtime to officers involved in executions if the bill goes through.
That's because preparation for a Monday execution would take most of Sunday. In the days immediately preceding an execution, the Corrections department must make special arrangements for members of the victims' and inmate's families and rehearse the execution itself.
Of the last three executions set in Utah, only one has fallen on one of those three days. That was the planned firing squad execution of Ralph Menzies, initially set for Monday, November 10th, but was stayed by a federal court in September.
The bill now goes to the House.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
