House OKs bill to keep lethal injection drug source secret

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The House has approved legislation that would bar Idaho officials from releasing where they obtain the drugs used in lethal injection executions. The House voted 38-30 on Thursday to send the measure to the Senate. The Idaho Department of Correction has long tried to keep details about where and how it obtains lethal injection drugs secret, but the bill from Caldwell Republican Rep. Greg Chaney would make that secrecy part of state law. Chaney says the legislation is needed because death penalty critics use the information to publicly shame companies that provide the drugs. He says drug suppliers have refused to sell to Idaho without a promise of anonymity.