Georgia: Bill would cloak lethal injection information in secrecy

Georgia Execution Chamber

The names of those who carry out Georgia’s executions and the identities of those that supply the lethal drugs would be classified as “state secrets” under legislation moving through the General Assembly.

Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, who sponsored the privacy exception, said it is needed to protect individuals involved in the execution process. But opponents said it shields from view how Georgia acquires its lethal-injection drugs and could, if there is a botched execution, prevent the public from finding out why it happened.

Tanner successfully attached the “state secrets” amendment to House Bill 122, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on Wednesday.

It would keep private the names of the guards on duty during executions, the pharmacist who fills out the prescription and the person who administers the lethal drug, he said. The amendment also requires the identifying information of any entity that “manufactures, supplies, compounds or prescribes” the lethal injection drugs to be classified.

Tanner, a former Department of Corrections board member, said he has been working with the agency on the amendment. Nearly half of the states with the death penalty have enacted similar legislation.

The provision does not make secret the methods used for execution, he said. “This isn’t pro-death penalty legislation or anti-death penalty legislation. It’s just about protecting these people.”

Corrections fully supports the provision that protects those who are essential to the lethal-injection process in Georgia, agency spokeswoman Gwendolyn Hogan said.

“The purpose of the bill is to protect the safety of the officers, nurses, doctors and pharmacists involved in this process,” she said. “Identifying these individuals and businesses jeopardizes their safety and makes them a target for harassment and intimidation, simply because of their involvement in court-ordered executions.”

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Source: Atlanta-Journal-Constitution, March 21, 2013

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