Virginia Set To Be First Southern State To Abolish Death Penalty

On Monday, Virginia’s state Senate passed a bill that was already approved by the House of Delegates officially banning the death penalty in the southern state. The bill now waits to be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, which is expected.

The bill would join Virginia with 22 other states that have voted to end capital punishment. The Associated Press reported that Virginia has “executed more people in its long history than any other.”