Louisiana House to debate lethal injection secrecy bill

The proposal is aimed at restarting lethal injections in a state where executions have been stalled for nearly a decade.

The legislation by Republican Rep. Nicholas Muscarello of Hammond would shield information about the person or company that manufactures, supplies, transports or prescribes drugs for an execution.

The House criminal justice committee advanced the bill Wednesday without objection, sending it to the House floor.

Louisiana's corrections department says it can't get lethal injection drugs because companies don't want their products associated with executions.

The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops opposed the proposal, saying transparency is needed to ensure capital punishment is done in a just manner.