Mississippi execution bill needs lot of work

We agree with the Mississippi Press Association that the last place the state should drop a veil of secrecy is the execution chamber.

But a bill that passed the Senate last week not only has too many restrictions on the information the state has to disclose as it puts someone to death, it restricts what the press can report.

Sen. Sean Tindell, who wrote the amendment that set off alarms, said his intent was not to restrain the press but to protect the families of the condemned and the families of the victims who could be witnessing the execution. He notes the bill would allow reporters to interview and report on any witness who grants his or her permission.

But another part of the bill said those witnesses "shall at all times remain confidential, and the information is exempt from disclosure under provisions of the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983."

Pardon us for being confused. Tindell said he was willing to work on the law to make it better and we hope he is able to make the role of the press crystal clear with few limitations.

Another part of the bill, which Tindell said was requested by the Attorney General's Office, bars disclosure of suppliers of lethal injection chemicals. He says mom-and-pop pharmacists that mixed a lethal cocktail of drugs used in executions were being threatened.

Once again, we protest such secrecy. If threats are the problem, then address the threats. If it's not against the law, make it against the law. Penalize the transgressor, not the public, whose best interests are served by a government operating in the open, particularly when the stakes are so high.

The press is capable of acting with restraint on its own. The MPA seems ready to head to court to ensure that no prior restraint is placed on the press. We believe this should be worked out without costly litigation.

This editorial represents the views of the Sun Herald editorial board. Opinions of columnists, and cartoonists are their own.

This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 6:57 PM with the headline "Mississippi execution bill needs lot of work ."