Texas marks 600th modern-era execution amid debates over fairness

Texas carried out its 600th modern-era execution, putting Edward Busby to death in Huntsville and highlighting Texas’ long-standing status as the nation’s leading user of the death penalty even as the pace has slowed. The report notes that a small number of counties account for most executions, raises concerns about racial disparities in who is sentenced to die, and references reforms like the 2005 life-without-parole option and the Michael Morton Act that reduced new death sentences, along with past exonerations and ongoing legal battles over eligibility for capital punishment.