Most Virginians say they agree with a current push to legalize marijuana, abolish the death penalty and end mandatory minimum sentences, according to a poll published Tuesday by the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University.
The study found 68% of registered voters support making marijuana legal. A bill to do just that cleared the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee Monday; it would end criminal penalties for possession of marijuana for people 21 and older and allow for automatic expungement of records for some marijuana-related offenses. A House bill provides a similar path to legalization, although as the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, there are differences on when criminal penalties will be lifted and on whether Virginians will be able to grow it.
About 56% of registered voters said they were in favor of ending the death penalty, which Virginia has used for longer and on more people than any other state. Democrats in the House and Senate are moving forward bills to carry out what Gov. Ralph Northam says is a top priority this legislative session. In the survey, Republicans were more likely to oppose ending capital punishment than Democrats; Black voters were more likely than white voters to support the repeal.
Ending mandatory minimum sentences also earned a slim majority (55%) over those who opposed the idea (45%). Currently, Virginia has mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for 224 offenses; reform advocates say the guidelines do not deter crime and burden Black defendants unfairly. The Virginia State Crime Commission supports ending mandatory minimums. House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) has called that idea an “insane proposal” and pledged Republicans would oppose it to “stand with victims and law enforcement.”
The poll was based on interviews with 1,039 Virginia residents, including 897 registered voters. The Wason Center says it carried out the interviews online and that it had a margin of error of +/- 4.8%.
In addition to criminal justice initiatives, the survey also revealed that Virginia voters support several worker-focused initiatives. Some 88% of respondents said they’d agree to require employers of at least 25 workers to give minimum five days of paid sick leave a year. The poll also showed 68% of respondents support giving state and local government employees the right to collective bargaining.
Support was also high for upping spending on health care (69%), K-12 education (66%), public safety (60%), and on social services like food and housing (60%). Further, 70% of Virginians surveyed said they’d support tax rebates for buying electric vehicles.
Daniella Cheslow