Virginia Attorney General OKs governor’s proposal to acquire lethal injection drugs in secret

Virginia would not run afoul of federal law or violate death row inmates’ constitutional rights by passing a law allowing the state to obtain lethal injection drugs from secret sources, according to an opinion released late Tuesday by Attorney General Mark R. Herring.

In a 13-page document, Herring responded to a series of Republican and Democratic lawmakers’ questions about a pending death penalty bill that will be a major focus when the General Assembly reconvenes today to take up Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s vetoes and amendments.

McAuliffe has recommended allowing the state to obtain execution chemicals from unidentified pharmacies and outsourcing facilities. Continue…

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