Virginia’s legislature is a procedural vote away from passing legislation abolishing death penalty  

The Virginia House of Delegates voted 57-41 Friday to abolish the death penalty.

The Senate passed identical legislation on Wednesday.

Gov. Ralph Northam has not only said he’ll sign it, but has championed the issue.

Which is all to say, Virginia is very close to finalizing legislation that would make the state the first in the South to end capital punishment.

Each chamber’s version of the bill now heads to opposite chamber for a final vote before it goes to Northam’s desk. Given that there is no difference between the House and Senate versions, the steps are unlikely to present a roadblock.

“The death penalty is immoral, racially biased, ineffective, and costly. What keeps me up at night is that we run the risk of executing an innocent person,” said Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, who carried the legislation in the House.

Republicans largely opposed the bill, outlining a litany of gruesome murders and arguing some crimes are so horrific that they merit execution.

But unlike in the Senate, the legislation ended up winning modest bi-partisan support in the House, with three GOP lawmakers joining Democrats in supporting the bill: Dels. Carrie Coyner and Roxanne Robinson, both of Chesterfield, and Del. Jeff Campbell of Smyth.

One Democrat, Del. Delores McQuinn of Richmond, did not vote.