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State Pushes Back Lethal Injection Dates While It Tries To Find Execution Drugs

Ron Corby, OGT

The state has pushed back execution dates for a dozen condemned killers.

Ronald Phillips was set to die on January 21, but his execution has been pushed back almost a year, to January 12, 2017. His is the first of 12 execution dates to be delayed. The prisons department says in a statement that it continues to try to find legal ways to get the supply of drugs it needs. Other states with lethal injections are having similar problems finding the drugs they use.  State lawmakers changed Ohio law to allow for compounding pharmacies to supply the drug sodium thiopental, but pharmacies haven’t been stepping forward, and the federal government has not yet responded to the state’s request to bring in the drug from overseas – if it could be found.

Contact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.