Christie Arnold, FCCB associate for social concerns & respect life, testified in opposition to HB 873 (Maney) on February 23 before the Judiciary Committee. The bill unnecessarily expands the public records exemption shielding entities and people involved in distributing, manufacturing and supplying drugs used in lethal injections. In carrying out a death sentence, this could allow the state to utilize drugs from manufacturers that expressly prohibit their use in executions without the manufacturer's knowledge. The application of the death penalty should be as transparent as possible, given the gravity of the intentional killing of a person by the state.
The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 873 on a 13-4 vote. SB 1204 (Broxson) has been placed on the Senate calendar on 2nd reading.