Louisiana senators stall lethal injection drug secrecy bill

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana state senators have scrapped a measure to shield the identity of the drug supplier for state executions, appearing to end debate over capital punishment for the legislative session.

Republican Rep. Nicholas Muscarello described his House-approved bill as helping to restart lethal injections in the state.

Louisiana held its last execution in 2010. The corrections department has said it can't get lethal injection drugs because companies don't want their products associated with capital punishment.

But opponents said offering confidentiality to any person or company that manufactures, supplies or compounds drugs for an execution risks the state buying lethal injection drugs on the black market or in other inappropriate ways.

Members of a Senate judiciary committee voted 3-2 against the bill Tuesday, stalling it in committee.