Leader Munson Says Death Penalty Bill Grossly Violates Transparency

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed SB 1702 off the floor, which makes the entire death penalty process, doctors, drugs used, records, and photographs confidential. It makes it so no person or entity involved in the execution can be identified. If signed into law, it would apply to all past executions and future executions.

“This is a scary bill that pulls the wool over an already non-transparent, problematic process,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City. “This bill essentially makes it impossible for the families of those who undergo the death penalty to find out what happened on the execution table, what drugs were used, and who was administering the drugs. It eliminates the responsibility needed for those who are killing people in the name of the State of Oklahoma. It greatly impedes transparency, which should be of utmost importance for those in charge of ending the lives of Oklahomans. It is also unfair to taxpayers who pay for these executions and deserve to know what process their tax dollars are funding. I know the Governor values transparency in state government, so I urge him to veto SB 1702.”