Virginia one step closer to abolishing death penalty after state Senate approves bill
Virginia’s state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would abolish the death penalty, putting the southern state on the path to become the 23rd state to end capital punishment.
The Commonwealth has executed more people than any other state since the Jamestown colony’s first recorded execution in 1608 for espionage, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The Democratic-led state Senate passed the measure by a party line vote of 21-17. The bill is now expected to move to the House of Delegates, where Democrats also hold the majority.
Virginia Senate committee rejects hate crime expansion bill (FILE) (Source: WVIR) By Cierra Parks | Capital News Service | February 2, 2021 at 2:58 PM EST - Updated February 2 at 5:39 PM
RICHMOND, Va. - Legislators attempted to pass a bill that would expand the definition of a hate crime to include crimes against people based on perception, but opponents said the bill was too broad and could be misused.
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill by for the year late last month. Four Democrats strayed from party lines to vote against the bill after much debate.
The current statute defines hate crime victims as those who are maliciously targeted based on race, religion, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or ethnicity. Legislators passed the legislation last year during the General Assembly session.
Virginia State Senator Censured After Praising Capitol Rioters As ‘Patriots’ RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 20:
Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase(R-11) at work in the statehouse, on February, 20, 2019 in Richmond, VA.
(Photo by Bill O Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) January 27, 2021 5:43 p.m.
Virginia state Sen. Amanda Chase (R) was censured by the state senate on Wednesday following incendiary actions that included praising the mob in the deadly insurrection of the Capitol earlier this month that left five dead as “patriots.”
Following lengthy debate, the rare censure resolution passed 24-9. Although the resolution to censure Chase who also made derogatory remarks toward the Virginia Capitol Police and the clerk of the Senate was entered by a Democratic state senator, it was backed by Republicans as well.
Virginia senator who called U.S. Capitol rioters patriots is censured
Gregory S. Schneider, The Washington Post
Jan. 27, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
The Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to censure Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, over a long pattern of behavior that includes referring to the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as patriots and making insulting comments toward the Virginia Capitol Police and the clerk of the Senate.
The censure resolution - the second in modern Virginia history - was entered by Sen. John Bell, D-Loudoun, and received support from Republicans. It passed, 24 to 9, after lengthy debate. The need to protect the honor of this body compelled me to proceed, Bell said.