Gov. Kay Ivey asked the Alabama Supreme Court this week to change a rule that limits execution warrants to a single date.
“In several recent executions, last-minute gamesmanship by death row inmates and their lawyers has consumed a lot of valuable time, preventing the department from carrying out its execution protocol between the conclusion of all legal challenges in the federal courts and the expiration at the death warrant issued by your court,” Ivey wrote in a letter to the justices.
Last month, Ivey ordered a full review of the execution process in Alabama after executions were called off at the last minute because of legal appeals and the failure of connecting IV lines to the inmates.
Robert Dunham, who oversees the Death Penalty Information Center, recently told WSFA News 12 in Montgomery, “If you have a system that’s secretive, and you have a review that is not transparent, then it doesn’t do a lot to restore public confidence.”
Ivey responded to the accusation by emphasizing that it’s just a normal review process.
#ICYMI An expert is questioning Gov. Kay Ivey’s call for more time to carry out state executions… Here's her response to yesterday's story #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/HHElekljoi
— Erin Davis (@erindavisnews) December 14, 2022
“There’s no secrecy involved, it’s just simply a review process,” Ivey said, “and part of that review has led to us to ask and send a letter to the Supreme Court of Alabama asking for a change in the dates on the time for executions to give us more time.”
The governor also commented on the issue of the IV lines used for the lethal injection process.
“I know they’ve gotten some additional medical personnel on board to either participate or give advice,” she said.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
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