09 March 2024 :
March 5, 2024 - Louisiana. (HB 6) Governor signs HB 6 that expand execution methods
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry approved 11 bills Tuesday, including expanding death row execution methods, concealed carry of a gun without a permit, legislation that effectively eliminates parole for most jailed in the future, and a measure that reduces the amount of “good time credit” that prisoners can accumulate to shave time off their sentence.
The governor’s ceremony of signing bills into law follows a short crime-focused special session where the GOP-dominated Legislature passed a slew of policies, which will overhaul elements of the criminal justice system in a state grappling with one of the highest rates of incarceration and violent crime in the country.
“Today we sign these bills to start to make Louisiana safe,” Landry said Tuesday.
Among the bills signed by Landry is legislation that adds the use of nitrogen gas and electrocution as methods to carry out the death penalty.
Despite 58 people currently sitting on Louisiana’s death row, an execution has not been held since 2010. Like most states that have capital punishment, Louisiana has relied on lethal injection. But amid legal battles and challenges over the drugs involved, some states have explored other methods.
Proponents of expanding the allowed execution methods say it’s past time for the state to uphold “contractual obligations” between victims’ families and the state. Opponents question the legality of the proposed methods, saying they could amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
The law will go into effect July 4.
Republicans say Louisiana’s Legislature-approved bills prioritize victims and will keep criminals behind bars and off Louisiana streets. Democrats say most of the measures won’t address crime and that lawmakers needs to take a holistic approach, including additional funding and programs to address drug addiction, improving outcomes for prisoners who re-enter society, and allocating more money for mental health and education.
https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-crime-execution-landry-3d8eeb4990e1960f0629a2d47fdd4e92
