Texas No Longer The National Leader in Executions

Once upon a time, Texas was as known for executing criminals as it was for the Alamo and waffles in the shape of the Lone Star State. This year, that has changed with fewer and fewer executions being conducted by the state department of corrections. Whether you're for or against the death penalty, this is good news.

Texas made news in 2016 for the pace of executions slowing. There was a six-month period this year with no executions, the longest in a decade.  For those who point to past evidence that executions can disproportionately affect certain minorities, it has not gone on noticed that each of the executions was of non-African American offenders.  The state Department of Corrections has issued more reprieves.  Something is changing, whether it's Texas' his approach to the death penalty, to a focus on justice, or towards an attitude of making certain offenders guilty.

To my way of thinking, life and righteousness together are always the most preferable outcome no matter what the story.