The bill’s sponsor, Republican Del. Jay Leftwich, said he brought the bill because of mental health and data privacy concerns for young people.
Browsing: Virginia General Assembly
Republicans swept two state House races and one state Senate race in Rockbridge County, but the Democrats managed to take control of the legislature.
Virginia Democratic and Republican candidates clash over abortion rights ahead of the 2023 Election when all 140 state House and Senate seats are up for grabs.
Virginia has executed nearly 1,400 people since its days as a colony. In modern times, the state is second only to Texas in the number of executions it has carried out, with 113 since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
Virginia is expecting about $6.8 billion in state and local allocations on top of other grant funding in the bill. Of that, $3.8 billion will go to the state government and the rest directly to local governments.
Public health officials, law enforcement and community organizations say shutdowns and limits on social gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic have led to increased drug overdoses among people who are struggling with loneliness and depression.
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam. His signature would end capital punishment in the state that has carried it out more than any other since colonial days.
The state Department of General Services will remove the statue from Capitol Square and store it until the General Assembly determines what should be done with it.
State legislators will reconvene Thursday, after the session deadline, to pass a final budget.
Virginia is one of the few states that hasn’t raised its threshold on what constitutes grand larceny. The General Assembly is considering bills that would raise the threshold, but some think this could be a mistake.