The Missouri court filing is available through St. Louis Public Radio. "Missouri Has A New Execution Drug Supplier," is by Chris McDaniel.
Although the state's previous drug supplier says it will not supply for the next execution, Missouri says it's found another willing pharmacy.
On Monday, the Apothecary Shoppe in Oklahoma reached a settlement with an inmate who had sued the pharmacy. Although the terms were confidential, the pharmacy agreed to not sell to Missouri for its upcoming execution.
In a court filing Wednesday evening, the state said inmate Michael Taylor was trying to cut off the supply of the state's execution drug.
"But Taylor has failed," assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane wrote. "[We] do not admit nor deny the pharmacy Taylor threatened, then sued, has supplied pentobarbital to Missouri. However, Missouri has now arranged with a pharmacy, that is not the pharmacy Taylor threatened and sued, to supply pentobarbital for Taylor’s execution."
"Missouri says it has a drug supplier for its upcoming execution," is by Tony Rizzo for the Kansas City Star.
Missouri officials said late Wednesday afternoon that they have arranged with an unidentified pharmacy to provide the lethal injection chemical for use in next week’s execution of a Kansas City man.
The state revealed the existence of the supplier of pentobarbital — the drug used in the state’s last three executions — in a federal court filing opposing a stay of execution for Michael Taylor.
Taylor is scheduled to be put to death next Wednesday for the 1989 killing of 15-year-old Ann Harrison.
Wednesday’s court filing does not specify when the state made arrangements with the pharmacy.
NBC News posts, "Missouri: We Found Another Pharmacy to Supply Execution Drugs," by Tracy Connor.
Two days after one compounding pharmacy said it would not sell the drug needed for a Missouri execution, state officials revealed in court papers Wednesday that they have found another supplier for the lethal injection.
Convicted child-killer Michael Taylor applied for a stay of execution after the Apothecary Shoppe in Tulsa, Okla., settled a lawsuit by agreeing not to be the source of pentobarbital or any other chemicals for his scheduled Feb. 26 execution.
His lawyers argued that Missouri should not be allowed to use a backup method — the sedative midazolam and painkiller hydromorphone — because an Ohio execution that relied on the cocktail led to an unusually prolonged death.
Also, AP reports, "Mo. bill would give flexibility on executions," by Jordan Shapiro. It's via the Southesast Missourian.
A state senator proposed Wednesday to give Missouri prison officials more choices in deciding how they want to execute inmates, as the state is facing increasing scrutiny for its current lethal injection methods.
Sen. Kurt Schaefer introduced legislation that would give the department full discretion in deciding how to put inmates to death. Current state law only permits executions by lethal gas or chemicals. The state doesn't have a functioning gas chamber, leaving lethal injection as the only execution method.
"I don't care what they use," said Schaefer, R-Columbia, and a former prosecutor.
Lethal injections, gas, electrocutions, hanging and firing squads are allowed under U.S. law, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The measure was introduced on the same day the head of the Corrections Department declined to tell the Senate Appropriations Committee, which Schaefer chairs, whether the state had enough of its execution drug to carry out next week's lethal injection.
And:
While Schaefer's solution would give prison officials greater control over executions, other proposals would give lawmakers more power.
Senate Minority Leader Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, has introduced legislation to halt executions in Missouri until a special commission can create new procedures. The panel's recommendation would then be subject to legislative oversight.
Earlier coverage from Missouri begins at the link.
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