Gov. Kaine vetoes death penalty expansion

Gov. Kaine vetoes death penalty expansion that would've included murder planners
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine vetoed bills Wednesday that would expand the death penalty to include people who assist in a murder, not just the primary killer. Kaine's veto of House and Senate bills now sends both back to the legislature for override votes before Saturday's scheduled adjournment. "Virginia is already 2nd in the nation in the number of executions we carry out," Kaine said in a message explaining his veto. In the Democrat-controlled Senate, the legislation passed with 24 votes, 3 short of the 2/3 margin necessary to override the Democratic governor. In the House, however, it passed with at least 12 more votes than the 67 necessary to pass the bill over the governor’s veto. Kaine, a Roman Catholic who acknowledged his personal aversion to the death penalty while running for governor 3 years ago, had vetoed similar legislation last year, and the veto stood.
"I do not believe that further expansion of the death penalty is necessary to protect human life," he said.
On the Net: Track HB 933 and SB560: http://leg1.state.va.us/081/lis.htm.