Texas Spent More Than $775,000 in Taxpayer Dollars on Drugs for Execution

Texas has spent more than $775,000 in taxpayer dollars since October 2024 to acquire pentobarbital for executions, according to an NBC News investigation. Under the state’s secrecy law, the records were redacted to hide the supplier and any breakdown of the costs.

Some of the drugs were used in executions, but part of the supply was left to expire after the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson was stayed in October 2025. Other states have also paid far above wholesale prices: Indiana spent $1.175 million, including $600,000 on doses that expired unused, and Idaho spent about $200,000 on drugs that all went to waste.