TB&P Daily: John Brummett on Arkansas executions and playing tennis at the White House with Jay Dickey

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette political columnist takes his weekly turn at the Talk Business & Politics roundtable to discuss Arkansas’ recent execution drama as well as what it was like to cover former Fourth District Congressman Jay Dickey.

Brummett says that despite no apparent mistakes in the state’s executions that have been carried out, Arkansas’ perception nationally and internationally is still taking a hit from the urgency to carry out the executions.

“I think out of state it continues to be perceived as a state in a rush to kill,” Brummett said.

The executions have, in part, been driven by a deadline to use a quantity of a lethal injection drug before it expires on April 30, 2017. Also, the death warrants signed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson have a midnight expiration on the day they are proclaimed.

Brummett also reminisces about his time covering the late Fourth District Congressman Jay Dickey, who passed away last week at the age of 77.

Once, Dickey called Brummett in Washington, D.C. and asked him to play tennis at the White House. The subsequent conversation is one for the ages. Watch the video below for more.