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Virginia House accepts Governor’s death penalty amendment

Posted at 5:55 PM, Apr 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-20 17:58:50-04

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia House of Delegates accepted Governor McAuliffe’s proposed amendments to a death penalty bill.

The House first voted to reject the amendments Wednesday afternoon but then approved them during a second vote.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a bill requiring the use of the electric chair when death penalty drugs are not available.

McAuliffe’s proposed amendment was to work with drug companies to manufacture the drugs in secret instead of using the electric chair.

McAuliffe favors the death penalty, but not the electric chair. He had promised to veto the bill if lawmakers did not accept his amendments, which he had said would effectively end the death penalty in Virginia.

RELATED: Religious leaders call on Gov. McAuliffe to veto electric chair bill