On Wednesday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill to officially abolish the death penalty in the state. Virginia has executed nearly 1,400 people since its days as a colony, Axios reports. Only Texas has executed more people since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
Here's the official bill signing. https://t.co/EN2KVayRPY pic.twitter.com/G15RkJFrvH
— WAVY TV 10 (@WAVY_News) March 24, 2021
Black Americans make up only 13% of the population, but make up 42% of people on death row.
