According to reports, Virginia lawmakers have voted to abolish the death penalty and will await the signature of Gov. Ralph Northam to officially be put into law. 

Virginia has the grim distinction of executing more inmates than any other state in the Union. When Northam signs the measure into law, it will make Virginia the 23rd state to do away with the death penalty. 

The legislation gained traction after the state's Democratic majority pushed to abolish capital punishment, citing the disproportionate rate that people of color and the mentally ill are executed. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Virginia has executed nearly 1,400 people throughout its history and 113 people since 1982. 

Source: youtube.com