Cameron Sexton

Tennessee Republican lawmakers are reviewing the state's execution protocols after problems with recent lethal injections, including the execution of Christa Pike, and are considering alternative methods for the next legislative session starting in January. State Sen. Richard Briggs cited a 2014 Amherst College study showing firing squads have no documented botched executions, unlike gas chambers, hanging, or electrocution. House Speaker Cameron Sexton said no method is off the table. Death penalty opponents, including execution witness Rev. Jeff Hood, dispute firing squads' reliability, pointing to South Carolina's April execution of Mikal Mahdi, where shooters reportedly missed the heart target. Five states currently permit firing-squad executions.

Tennessee officials attempted to execute inmate Pike with pentobarbital, but she survived two doses and was hospitalized in critical condition; her attorneys described at least seven needle attempts, purple and blistered skin, burns and sharp pain at the injection site, calling it torture. Gov. Bill Lee called the outcome "deeply disturbing," suspended a December execution and ordered an independent review. Republican leaders including Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Speaker Cameron Sexton are weighing alternative methods, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the GOP nominee for governor, called for restoring the electric chair, backed by House Majority Leader William Lamberth. Democrats want legislative oversight before executions resume.

The case has renewed scrutiny nationally. In Utah, where lethal injection is the primary method and state law mandates a fallback to firing squads if the drugs become unavailable or unconstitutional, advocates are now calling for a moratorium, citing Pike's case alongside the recent release of death row inmate Douglas Carter amid new DNA evidence. The Death Penalty Information Center estimates about 7% of lethal injections have been botched historically. Ohio, meanwhile, hasn't executed anyone since 2018 due to drug shortages, with Gov. Mike DeWine not expecting one during his remaining term.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is preparing to leave office August 31 after two terms, stepping away from politics to return to teaching law. The University of Mississippi announced last week that Harris will join its faculty this fall as a tenured law professor.

In a reflective interview, Harris pointed to healthcare investments, including the Regional One Project, and a new Frayser High School as top achievements. He criticized state intervention in Shelby County schools, which he argues has jeopardized plans for a new East Region school, and said he had unsuccessfully sued to block a state takeover. On county finances, Harris defended recent borrowing to make payroll as routine and said his proposed balanced budget was altered by the County Commission, whose grant spending he says strains the county's rainy day fund. He also addressed criticism over the aging county jail, noting the charter places the sheriff, not the mayor, in charge of that facility, while affirming his support for needed repairs.