“It is historic, it is transformational,” House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) said in an interview. “Virginia is changing, and some of these historic pieces of legislation — it’s what the public wants.”
Two Republicans joined all Democrats in the House of Delegates on Friday in approving the death penalty bill, 57 to 41. The Senate had approved a similar bill on Wednesday.
The House and Senate both voted Friday for plans to legalize marijuana that call for retail sales to begin in 2024.
The actions capped a busy day that saw several other ambitious measures advance, from ending mandatory minimum sentences on a host of crimes to overhauling utility regulation and passing job and health protections in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Friday was “crossover,” the deadline for each chamber to finish work on its own bills and send them to the other.
The flurry also signaled another milestone in the transformation of Virginia into a liberal, blue state after decades of conservative Republican leadership in the General Assembly. The makeover was turbocharged last year when Democrats used election gains to take control of both chambers of the legislature, fueled by voter antipathy to President Donald Trump.
With more women and minorities in positions of power than any time in the General Assembly’s 402-year history, Democrats have pushed sweeping changes in areas such as…
Original Author Link click here to read complete story..
“It is historic, it is transformational,” House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) said in an interview. “Virginia is changing, and some of these historic pieces of legislation — it’s what the public wants.”
Two Republicans joined all Democrats in the House of Delegates on Friday in approving the death penalty bill, 57 to 41. The Senate had approved a similar bill on Wednesday.
The House and Senate both voted Friday for plans to legalize marijuana that call for retail sales to begin in 2024.
The actions capped a busy day that saw several other ambitious measures advance, from ending mandatory minimum sentences on a host of crimes to overhauling utility regulation and passing job and health protections in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Friday was “crossover,” the deadline for each chamber to finish work on its own bills and send them to the other.
The flurry also signaled another milestone in the transformation of Virginia into a liberal, blue state after decades of conservative Republican leadership in the General Assembly. The makeover was turbocharged last year when Democrats used election gains to take control of both chambers of the legislature, fueled by voter antipathy to President Donald Trump.
With more women and minorities in positions of power than any time in the General Assembly’s 402-year history, Democrats have pushed sweeping changes in areas such as…