Virginia likely to make more eligible for death penalty

Since he took office in 2006, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has vetoed 15 bills making everyone from murder accomplices to killers of on-duty auxiliary police or fire marshals eligible for the death penalty. Legislators have overridden some of Kaine's vetoes, and currently there are 15 crimes that are punishable by death in Virginia.

Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell has said he will sign legislation to expand the death penalty, even though other states are restricting capital punishment or repealing it altogether.

Opponents argue expansion would be costly as the state grapples with billions in revenue shortfalls and increase the risk of sending an innocent person to death row.

"I don't believe that any of these are going to result in a significant difference in the number of capital prosecutions in Virginia," said Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, noting that many of the bills blocked in the past would have applied to very few crimes.