Louisiana resumes executions using nitrogen hypoxia method

In Louisiana, the state government announced the resumption of executions after a significant hiatus of 15 years. The decision to move forward with the death penalty was influenced by complications surrounding lethal injection drugs, political opposition, and various legal challenges that delayed executions since 2010. Currently, there are about 63 inmates on death row in Louisiana, awaiting execution. Governor Jeff Landry stated his commitment to fulfilling these sentences, emphasizing the need for justice for victims who have suffered through prolonged delays. The updated execution protocol authorizes nitrogen hypoxia as a method to carry out death sentences. This approach involves replacing the inmate's oxygen supply with pure nitrogen gas, a method that is still relatively new and has only been utilized in a few cases across the United States. Louisiana becomes the second state to officially adopt nitrogen hypoxia, following Alabama, which has executed four inmates using this controversial method. The decision to expand to nitrogen hypoxia came after last year's moves by the Louisiana Legislature, which included allowing electrocution as an alternative execution method. Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed expectations that at least four death row inmates would be executed this year. The state plans to initiate executions in March, pending that inmates have exhausted their legal options. Concerns have been raised regarding the method and its implications. Critics argue that nitrogen hypoxia might not be as humane as it's proposed to be, having observed distressing reactions during prior executions in Alabama. The cases of inmates like Larry Roy have raised additional legal questions, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding fairness and the application of capital punishment in the state, alongside the enduring presence of racial disparities in death row demographics.