Mayhem over Midazolam

This CNN article states that the Supreme Court will look into Oklahoma's death penalty protocol. Attorney General Scott Pruitt asked if the execution of three death row inmates could be postponed until after the Supreme Court makes its decision. There has been recent uproar over the death penalty in Oklahoma because of the botched execution nine months ago of Clayton Lockett. One particular drug is being questioned-- midazolam-- which some say is a "cruel and unusual punishment."


I think that it is good the Supreme Court is looking into this state's death penalty. Although the death penalty will not go away because of this, I think it is good to have national attention towards the fact that killing people is not right-- even if they are just debating over one drug. I hope that someday we will not have a death penalty. Two wrongs do not make a right; two deaths do not make justice.

Obama's New Year Resolutions

This article by NPR outlines the resolutions Obama made for the 2015 year in his State of the Union Address. Although he stated that Democrats and Republicans should work together in this new session, he did not hesitate to threaten the use of his veto power if a bill he disagreed with came to his desk. He touched on a wide array of subjects, including the economy, ISIS, the Keystone Pipeline, and even abortion. According to him, "the State of the Union is strong."

I found this interesting to read after I watched the State of the Union; it nicely outlined the President's points and hopes for this new Congress. I thought that he did a good job of covering a wide rage of topics, including things he thought were going well, and things he wishes we will improve in the year to come. I also liked that he urged Democrats and Republicans to work together; I think this is extremely important in a Congress where the House and Senate are both controlled by Republicans while the President is a Democrat. I'm interested to see how the Legislative and Executive branches will work together to improve the challenges that Obama listed Tuesday night. 

Boehner's Back

This CNN article brings news that Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has been reelected for a third term. Boehner faced much opposition from a group of 25 Republicans who did not vote for him, citing "his leadership's record of bringing major legislation to the House without enough input from members" as the primary reason for their dissatisfaction. As far as his goals, Boehner is aiming at bettering the economy and improving opportunities for middle class people. 

I'm really interested to see how this session of Congress goes with the Republican majority overall. This reelection is obviously a major win for that majority, because a Democratic Speaker could have upset the hopes of Republican domination. I do think it is a bit concerning that there is a split in the Republican Representatives because this Congress is hoping to push a lot of legislation through, and this rift could be detrimental. Again, I'm excited to see all of this play out!