Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson says the state is reviewing drug options for lethal injections following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday morning.
The court ruled 5-4 to allow Oklahoma to continue to use Midazolam, a sedative that inmates had argued may not prevent pain in lethal injections because it is not a barbiturate.
Hutchinson spoke to press at the Capitol shortly after the ruling.
“Obviously, with the Supreme Court ruling that this particular drug is appropriate, I think that helps overall in deciding the issue and allowing the states to proceed with lethal injection in the appropriate cases,” he said.
Arkansas currently plans to use a barbiturate, Phenobarbital, according to Hutchinson. He added the state is not immediately ready to start conducting executions which have been on hold for a decade because of litigation about lethal injection drugs.
Hutchinson plans to work with the Department of Correction and the Attorney General’s office on assessing readiness and testing drugs, before resuming executions in the state.
