House Judiciary Committee OKs nitrogen gas for executions
The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday allowing death row inmates to be executed via nitrogen gas. Alabama would be the second state to allow the execution method if the legislation becomes law.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tripp Pittman, R-Montrose, was inspired by a death row inmate who said he wanted to be executed by firing squad. But the bill was amended in the Senate to substitute nitrogen gas for firing squad. The execution method - formally known as nitrogen hypoxia - would only be used if lethal injection is not available.
"There have been some real challenges in obtaining the drugs" that comprise the lethal injection cocktail, Pittman told the Judiciary Committee.
Pittman defended his bill as good legislation because nitrogen hypoxia "is very effective because it's painless and available."
Nitrogen hypoxia was approved as an execution method in Oklahoma in 2015.
The House Judiciary Committee gave the bill a favorable report in a voice vote, moving the legislation to the full House.
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.al.co...mittee_oks.amp
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