(Photo credit: Doug Smith)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia lawmakers are set to consider Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to shield the identities of pharmacies that supply lethal injection drugs for executions.
The General Assembly returns Wednesday to consider McAuliffe’s proposal, which replaces a bill that sought to allow the state to use the electric chair whendrugs aren’t available. It’s among several items on lawmakers’ agenda.
Several states have adopted secrecy laws in an effort to make the drugs easier to obtain by protecting suppliers from critics.
McAuliffe says without the law, Virginia won’t be able to obtain drugs and executions will grind to a halt. He says he’ll veto the electric chair bill if lawmakers don’t accept his changes.
Religious leaders blasted the proposal, saying shielding suppliers from public scrutiny could increase the risk of botched executions.
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