The Alabama attorney general's office says it will not release to the news media a copy of a contract related to death penalty litigation.
The attorney general's office on Tuesday cited security reasons for refusing a records request from The Associated Press for a copy of a $25,000 contract with a Tennessee firm specializing in occupational safety. The state office declined to answer questions about the contract.
State Sen. Greg Albritton said the attorney general's office indicated the contract was related to litigation over nitrogen gas as an execution method.
The state has authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method but has not used it.
A federal judge last year ruled Alabama must release its lethal injection protocol but can keep some information secret, such as employee names.