“I’m sure the poor folk in Oregon don’t have a death penalty...”
We have the death penalty in Oregon but our Judges have no spines. The last time it was used was many moons ago. I think they hung the guy.
We have had, I think, two or three executions since reinstating capital punishment by popular vote back in the ‘80s. In that act, the gas chamber (or maybe the electric chair I'm not sure) was replaced with lethal injection. A sequence I believe, a sedative, a paralytic, then a massive barbiturate dose. Or maybe just two steps I'm not sure. Whatever it is kills ‘em anyway.
In my old age I have come to believe it's not such a good idea any way it's done, because it has become clear enough through the benefit of new forensics techniques that there are people about on death row who didn't do it. I'm not militant about it to the extent I'd engage in a big argument over it - this state does it and so be it - but it is a complex and expensive process that has a small chance of putting one who is not guilty (I did not say innocent) to death.