Hammond Representative Nicky Muscarello has legislation that would conceal the identities of companies that sell lethal injection drugs or equipment to the state.

The state has not performed an execution since 2010, and Muscarello says a big part of that is because drug companies fear retaliation from anti-death penalty consumers.

“A lot of these drug companies do not want to be associated with it because they are afraid of having a negative association with their buisiness, so they are willing to provide us the concoction if we can keep them private.”

The legislation is similar to that which is in place in neighboring states like Arkansas and Texas.

The Tangipahoa Parish Republican says he was inspired by the testimonies of the families of victims who’s attackers are awaiting their final moments. Muscarello says those families were promised an execution, and this would help increase the odds of that happening.

“They have been promised that the person who committed the crime will be executed and we have not done anything as a state to make that progress.”

Courts, tribunals, commissions, agencies and individuals would not have access to the information if this law were to pass.

Muscarello says the death penalty is law, and it’s the legislature’s responsibility to make the enforcement of law as feasible as possible.

“When legislators before me decided to make the death penalty part of the law, then we as legislators have a duty to follow through with that.”

Governor Edwards says he would sign the legislation if it were to make it to his desk.

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