Governor Glenn Youngkin indicated that Virginia Republicans will reintroduce a bill to charge
fentanyl dealers and distributors with murder if their drugs result in a lethal overdose. Virginia Democrats successfully defeated the legislation in February. Youngkin said, “if you’re a drug dealer and you do drugs and someone dies, you should be charged with felony homicide.... [w]e cannot coddle drug dealers.” First-degree murder is a Class 2 felony in Virginia, and compels a prison sentence of 20 years to life if convicted.