Today's Decatur Daily reports, "Official: Executions in Alabama on hold," by Mary Sell.
It will be at least next spring before the state can resume executing death row inmates.
That is the earliest lawmakers will be able to pass new legislation to protect manufacturers of lethal injection drugs and in turn receive the drugs, the Legislature’s top lawmaker on prison issues said Wednesday.
“The pharmaceutical companies refuse to sell us any drugs until we give them some sort of immunity package,” said Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster.
“We’re basically out of chemicals,” he said. “We are on hold until March or April.”
In March of this year, it was reported the state does not have access to pentobarbital, the first drug in its three-drug execution process. There are 16 death row inmates who have exhausted appeals and await execution, but the state Department of Corrections has no pentobarbital needed to carry out the death sentences.
"Lawmaker: Alabama unable to execute inmates until next spring due to shortage of chemicals," is the AP report, via the Tribune.
There are 16 death row inmates who have exhausted appeals and await execution.
Earlier coverage from Alabama begins at the link. The lack of drugs means that there is a de facto moratorium on executions in the state.
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