Kaine Vetoes Bills to Expand Death Penalty

RICHMOND, March 27 -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine vetoed several bills Friday, including those that would have expanded the death penalty to criminals who assist in murders or who kill fire marshals or auxiliary police officers.

"Virginia is already second in the nation in the number of executions we carry out," Kaine said in a statement. "While the nature of the offenses targeted by this legislation is very serious, I do not believe that further expansion of the death penalty is necessary to protect human life."

Kaine (D) opposes capital punishment on moral grounds but has allowed some executions to proceed.

It was the third year in a row Kaine vetoed the "triggerman" bill that targets accomplices in murders. In Virginia, only the person directly responsible for a killing can be sentenced to death.

Kaine also vetoed several gun bills allowing concealed-carry permit holders and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol and exempting active-duty service members from the state's one-handgun-per-month purchase limit. He also rejected bills allowing those applying for a concealed-carry permit to complete the required firearms training online and prohibiting law enforcement agencies who hold voluntary gun buy-back programs from destroying the weapons.

The General Assembly will attempt to override many of Kaine's vetoes at its one-day session April 8.