RICHMOND, Va. — Author's note: the above video is on file from Feb. 2, 2021.
The state of Virginia has moved another step closer to ending capital punishment.
The state House has joined the Senate in voting to abolish the death penalty. Gov. Ralph Northam supports this legislation.
His signature would make Virginia the 23rd state to stop executing prisoners. It’s a dramatic shift for Virginia, which has executed nearly 1,400 people since its days as a colony.
The Death Penalty Information Center says that’s more than any other state.
In modern times, Virginia trails only Texas in the number of executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.