Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine on Monday vetoed five bills that sought to make more crimes eligible for the death penalty and amended another so it will now ban smoking in all restaurants.
The vetoed measures would have allowed all participants in a murder, not just the individual inflicting the fatal wound, to be eligible for execution and permitted those convicted of killing a trial witness to be put to death.
The death penalty has a been a touchy issue for Kaine. He said during his 2005 campaign that he would put aside his Catholic opposition to executions and enforce Virginia’s death-penalty laws if elected.
“I do not question the seriousness of the crimes,” Kaine said in a Monday news conference in Richmond. “I just do not think we need to expand capital punishment in Virginia to keep our citizens safe.”
The General Assembly will return to Richmond for a one-day session April 4 to consider Kaine’s vetoes and amendments. Two-thirds majorities in each chamber are needed to override his veto, while simple majorities are required to approve the amendments, such as the governor’s smoking proposal.
The smoking bill lawmakers sent Kaine last month would have repealed the state law that restaurants have no-smoking sections. Restaurants could allow smoking if they posted “smoking permitted” signs at their entrances.
“My amendment says there will be no smoking in any restaurants in Virginia,” Kaine said.
The smoking ban faces long odds in the House of Delegates. A House committee only approved the legislation that went to the governor after its sponsor agreed to fight any attempts to toughen its restrictions.
Monday marked the deadline for Kaine to sign, veto or amend legislation approved during the legislative session earlier this year. As of Monday afternoon, Kaine said he still had more than 100 measures to consider before midnight, including a controversial measure imposing new regulations on the electricity industry.
