In 2021, Virginia made history when Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in the state. Virginia has a long history with capital punishment – it was home to the first execution of the colonial era in the Americas in 1608, and at the time the bill was passed it was the state with the highest number of executions (around 1,300). But this history didn’t stop numerous lawmakers, organizations, and ordinary citizens from fighting to change the law. 

For almost a century, attempts to narrow the scope of the death penalty or abolish it altogether have been introduced:

• In 1928, Virginia’s first female Senator introduced the first bill proposing death penalty abolition
• Several attempts failed throughout the 20th century, including Virginia reinstating capital punishment in 1982 after the US Supreme Court imposed a moratorium, then lifted it
• In the early 2000s, Delegate Frank Hargrove introduced several bills to ban or limit the scope of the death penalty, such as making life without parole an alternative
• From 2006-2008, Governor Tim Kaine vetoed several bills that would have expanded the death penalty during his tenure
• In 2019, a bill to ban the death penalty for people diagnosed with certain mental illnesses was introduced in the Senate, but didn’t make it through the House of Delegates

The bill that finally succeeded in 2021 states that “no person may be sentenced to death or put to death on or after its effective date for any violation of law.” Not only were future death sentences banned, but any inmates previously sentenced to death would serve life-without-parole sentences instead. Virginia’s action inspired advocates in other states, especially in the South, demonstrating that it was possible to change this policy even in states with a long and involved history of capital punishment.

Sources: Death Penalty Information Center; Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; Virginia Legislative Information System; the Washington Post; Time 

Term limits: State Representatives are limited to 3 four-year terms in a row. After serving 3 terms, Representatives can run for office in the State Senate if they want, which sometimes leads to long-serving politicians moving back and forth between the two chambers

Eligibility: to run for a seat in the State House, you must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, a resident of Louisiana for at least 2 years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least 1 year.

There are 105 State Representatives, representing 105 districts, and all the districts are up for election at the same time. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

• Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
• Introducing any bills that have to do with taxes, fees, or raising revenue for the government
  By Louisiana law, these types of bills have to begin in the State House
• Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
• Voting on whether to override the Governor’s vetoes
  If the Governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
• Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
  The Governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on Governors for more details
• Redistricting
  After the Census, the legislature has a year to update the state’s maps. If this deadline isn’t met, the State Supreme Court takes over the process. Both chambers draw their own versions and then negotiate, and a final version is voted on and sent to the Governor, just like any other bill.

Sources: the Louisiana Constitution; the Louisiana State Legislature; the Louisiana House of Representatives; Invest in Louisiana on the budget process 

Term limits: none; terms are two years

Eligibility: to run for any office in North Carolina, you must be at least 21 years old and eligible to vote in the state; State Representatives must also have lived in the district they want to represent for at least one year before being elected

There are 120 State Representatives, representing 120 districts, and all the districts are up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

• Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
• Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
• Voting on whether to override the Governor’s vetoes
  If the Governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a three-fifths majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
• Working on the state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
  The Governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on Governors for more details
• Passing potential amendments to the state Constitution
  For the state Constitution to be amended, both houses of the General Assembly need to pass it, just like a bill, then it’s put on the ballot for all the voters of the state to decide on.
• Redistricting
  After the Census, both houses of the General Assembly work together to draw new maps for the State Senate, the State House, and North Carolina’s U.S. Congressional districts. Maps cannot be vetoed by the Governor.

Sources: the North Carolina Constitution, Article II and Article VI; the North Carolina General Assembly’s Representatives Directory, redistricting explainer, and educational resources (see ‘how an idea becomes a law’); the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management

Term limits: none; terms are two years

Eligibility: to run for a seat in the State House, you must be at least 21 years old, a US citizen, a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 4 years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least 1 year (unless they were living somewhere else while doing official business for the US or Pennsylvania government). Representatives also need to live in their districts throughout their service.

There are 203 State Representatives, representing 203 districts, and all the districts are up for election every 2 years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

• Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
• Introducing any bills that have to do with taxes, fees, or raising revenue for the government
  By Pennsylvania law, only the State House can introduce these types of bills
• Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
• Voting on whether to override the Governor’s vetoes
  If the Governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
• Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
  The Governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on Governors for more details
• Redistricting
  After the Census, State Senate and State House leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties serve on the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, which works together to draw new maps. The Commission has 3 months to draw up proposed maps, and a month to make edits; during the editing period anyone who opposes the maps can appeal them to the Supreme Court, and the Court can also take over the process if the Commission misses any deadlines

Sources: the Pennsylvania Constitution; the Pennsylvania Legislature 

Term limits: none; terms are two years

Eligibility: to run for Delegate, you must be at least 21 years old, an eligible voter in Virginia, and a resident of the district you want to represent. Delegates must live in their districts throughout their service.

There are 100 Delegates, representing 100 districts, and all the districts are up for election every 2 years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

• Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
• Choosing judges
  In Virginia, all judges are appointed through a majority vote of the General Assembly
• Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
• Voting on whether to override the Governor’s vetoes
  If the Governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
• Working on the biannual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
  The Governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on Governors for more details
• Redistricting
  After the Census, 4 Delegates serve on Virginia’s Redistricting Commission, along with 4 Senators and 8 citizen members. Together the Commission draws the new maps. If the Commission fails to agree on new maps, the State Supreme Court takes over the process

Sources: the Virginia Constitution; the Virginia Senate; the Virginia Redistricting Commission