RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) – The Virginia Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would abolish the death penalty, a move that, if passed by law, would mark a major change in the policy of a state that, over its centuries-old history has led the nation to the number of executions it has carried out.
The Democratic-controlled chamber approved the bill in a 21-17 vote that split the party’s lines and was seen as a key obstacle to the measure. Supporters now expect the House’s version of the bill to be easily passed in that House, and Democratic Governor Ralph Northam said he supports the legislation.
Wednesday’s vote followed a long emotional debate.
“I can’t think of anything that is more terrible, unspeakable and wrong for a government to do than use its power to execute someone who has not committed the crime of which he is accused. The problem with the death penalty is that, once applied, you cannot withdraw it, it cannot be corrected, ”said Democratic Senator Scott Surovell, the defender of the bill, when introducing it.
Democrats raised concerns about racial disparities in the application of the death penalty and pointed to polls showing that it does not prevent crime.
Republicans called for a “no” vote on the bill, saying it would not give the victims’ families a chance for justice and expressing concerns that people convicted of heinous murders would be eligible for parole.
Republican Senator Bill Stanley, who initially co-sponsored the measure, spoke furiously against it after Democrats a day earlier rejected Republican attempts to amend the bill, including changes that Stanley proposed that he said would have ensured that people convicted of manslaughter would never get out of prison.
“This could have come out today as a bipartisan effort to end the death penalty. Instead, it is a partisan effort, ”said Stanley, who also spoke about his personal opposition to capital punishment. He ended up not voting.
Republican Senator Mark Obenshain acknowledged the “errors in applying the death penalty of decades and centuries past”, but said that should not be a reason to abolish the death penalty altogether.
He described the brutal crimes committed by two men on death row: Ivan Teleguz, convicted in 2006 for hiring a man to kill his son’s mother, and Ricky Gray, who was convicted of killing a family of four, cutting their throats and setting his house on fire in 2006. Teleguz had his sentence commuted to life without parole in 2017; Gray was executed that same year.
“These are wild crimes. These are the worst of the worst, ”he said.
Democrat Janet Howell said she used to be a “fervent” advocate of the death penalty, a position that changed after her father-in-law’s murder. She described in an emotional testimony how his death affected her family and how they found themselves at odds over the death penalty and the punishment her father-in-law’s murderer should face.
“I don’t believe that we would support the death penalty for the benefit of the victims’ families. It doesn’t work like that. Believe me, this is not how it works, ”she said.
Virginia has executed nearly 1,400 people in more than four centuries, more than any other state, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. In modern times, Virginia is second only to Texas in number of executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
But executions have declined in Virginia in recent years – the last convict sentenced to death was William Morva in 2017 – and no death sentence has been imposed in the state since 2011.
Only two men remain on death row. The Senate bill would commute his sentences to life without parole.
Democrat Del. Mike Mullin, who is a prosecutor, is presenting the version of the legislation in the House. He left a committee on Wednesday by a 15-6 bipartisan vote with one abstention.
If the bill passes the law, Virginia would become the 23rd state to abolish the death penalty, according to a recent report from the Death Penalty Information Center.
Northam said in a statement that it is time for Virginia to take that step.
“I applaud every senator who took a courageous vote today and look forward to enacting this bill into law,” he said.