Missouri, the New Ground Zero

"'Ground zero' for the death penalty," is by Tal Kopan for Politico.  Here's the beginning:

Missouri executed its fourth inmate in as many months early Wednesday, even as the issue of capital punishment has sparked a new and reshaped political debate in the state and across the country.

The Midwestern state has become a key battleground: As lethal-injection drug supplies have been disrupted, states have been scrambling to adapt, and Missouri lawmakers from both sides of the aisle aren’t happy with what they say is excessive secrecy about the process and questions about whether the sentences are being competently carried out.

The issue crosses party lines. Missouri’s Democratic governor and attorney general are both pro-death penalty, while some bills recently filed to challenge the executive’s approach to executions are sponsored by Republicans who also back capital punishment.

Earlier coverage from Missouri begins with the preceding post.