State-NewsRICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Senate has passed legislation aimed at making sure the state can continue carrying out capital punishment by lethal injection. Passed 23-14 Tuesday after a contentious debate, Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw’s bill empowers the Department of Corrections to enter into contracts with compounding pharmacies to acquire the three-drug cocktail used in the process. The Fairfax County Democrat said the measure is necessary because the state is running out of the drugs and their European manufacturers are refusing to allow them to be used in executions. Most controversial was a provision allowing the state to keep secret the identities of those who manufacture and supply the drugs and the names of the components used in the compounding process. Critics said the public deserves access to that information.