"It's not something I designed from when I ran for governor," Hutchinson told reporters at a recent news conference, the only time he's spoken at length publicly about the decision. Arkansas' lull in executions wasn't a major issue when Hutchinson ran for governor three years ago. As governor, Hutchinson has focused on economic issues, including pushing for tax cuts. An abortion opponent, he ordered the state in 2015 to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood — a move blocked by one of the judges that has halted his execution plan. That moderate record, death penalty opponents say, makes Hutchinson's execution timeline all the more perplexing.

Source: ABC News April 16, 2017 15:56 UTC