Members of the Senate, including Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, left, Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke, center and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, right, placed roses on the desk of the late Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, on opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Chafin died on Jan. 1 due to complications related to the coronavirus. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, wipes a tear during the eulogy of his friend, the late Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, as members of the Virginia Senate convene for opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Chafin died on Jan. 1 due to complications related to the coronavirus. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Members of the Virginia Senate prepare to convene for opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington, rear, sits at his sat before the Senate convened where he delivered his eulogy of his friend, the late Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, black draped desk, foreground, when members of the Virginia Senate met for opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Chafin died on Jan. 1 due to complications related to the coronavirus. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington, pauses during his eulogy of his friend, the late Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell as members of the Virginia Senate convene for opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Chafin died on Jan. 1 due to complications related to the coronavirus. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington, speaks during his eulogy of his friend, the late Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, as members of the Virginia Senate convene for opening day of the General Assembly inside the Science Museum in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Chafin died on Jan. 1 due to complications related to the coronavirus. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Virginia state senators lay roses Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2020, in Richmond, Va., on the empty desk of a colleague, Ben Chafin, who recently died from complications of COVID-19. The Senate, which convened for its first day of the 2021 session Wednesday, is meeting in an event center instead of the Capitol because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Sarah Rankin)
The Virginia Senate desk, foreground, of the late Sen. Augustus Benton (Ben) Chafin, Jr., is draped in black in the Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. A native son of southwest Virginia's Russell County passed away on Jan. 1, 2021 from COVID-19 complications. He was 60 years old. ()Joe Mahoney/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)