Among the legislation filed for the special session to address crime would expand the methods used to carry out the death penalty. Hammond Representative Nicholas Muscarello said there’s an ongoing shortage of the drugs used for lethal injections so House Bill 6 would offer alternatives.
“One being the electric chair and the other being nitrogen hypoxia. But I don’t foresee us using those methods it’s more of something that was added to the bill,” said Muscarello.
Because of the difficulty obtaining the drugs used for lethal injections, the bill would also offer protections for drug manufacturers. Muscarello said drug companies are often reluctant to provide the ingredients needed for an execution.
“If you’re a drug provider or a compound pharmacist or anybody in that profession, if you provide us the drugs needed to perform the lethal injection then you’ll be shielded and if you anybody exposes them, they will be subject to penalties as well,” said Muscarello.
Any legislation about the death penalty brings on the emotional debate, but Muscarello said this bill is only about expanding methods and providing protections to drug manufacturers.
“The debate about the death penalty is a totally separate debate, and that’s something that should be debated in another bill. But this bill is about performing a function that we’ve committed to victim’s families,” said Muscarello.
Muscarello’s bill is one of the 24 pieces of legislation Governor Jeff Landry wants passed in the special session that begins Monday and wraps on March 6th, just days before the regular legislative session convenes on March 11th.
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