As governor of Alabama, I had a chance to commute death sentences to life in prison without parole. I didn’t, and have lived to regret it. Because Florida’s execution selection process is shrouded in secrecy and is marred by racial bias, it is even more dire. The two upcoming executions in Florida, Kayle Bates on Aug. 19 and Curtis Windom on Aug. 28, highlight a disturbing racial disparity, and they show the danger when a governor is the sole decision maker in selecting who lives or dies.

Regardless of ones’ views on the death penalty, can’t we all agree that a secret process to select those whom the state executes erodes the public’s faith that the law is being fairly applied?

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) reports that since 1976, nationwide, one person on death row has b

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