RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Dozens of gun bills that proponents say will enhance public safety have passed through the Democratic-led Virginia General Assembly, including a bill that would halt sales of certain semiautomatic guns. There is.
The question hanging over all bills is how much Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will veto.
Mr. Yonkin largely touted Republican policies regarding firearms rhetoric during the campaign, but it is notable that he did not have the support of the National Rifle Association. He is a former private equity executive who spent his first two years in office with a Republican majority in the state. House of Representatives that nearly prevented the Democratic gun bill from reaching his desk.
After the November election flipped the chamber, the governor told lawmakers in a speech on the first day of the legislative session that he would not approve a bill that would further restrict the purchase and use of firearms, but rather a bill that would increase penalties for criminals who use guns. He indicated that he would like to submit the following. Still, he has remained studiously silent about where he might use his veto power as he navigates divided government dynamics and negotiations with a new Democratic legislative majority over a proposed sports arena agreement in northern Virginia. I've been protecting it.
Mr. Yonkin's press office did not directly answer questions about his positions on various bills, but said he would consider all bills submitted.
The administration's silence has left proponents on both sides of the issue uncertain about the final outcome.
“He basically telegraphed a message saying, 'If you're going to tighten gun control, I'm not going to be happy with that.' But that's all we know.” said Philip Van Cleve, president of the Virginia Civil Defense League.
Among the dozens of gun bills proposed this year by Democrats who don't have enough numbers to override Youngkin's veto are the import, sale, manufacture and purchase of “assault rifles” made since then; The bill also includes a ban on transfers. July 1st of this year. Possession of such weapons would be prohibited to persons under the age of 21, and the sale of certain ammunition feeding devices that can hold more than 10 rounds would also be prohibited.
Republicans and other opponents have questioned the constitutionality of the bill, which would affect sales of new models of the popular AR-15.
Supporters say it would limit the number of “weapons of war” that could be sold in the future, along with the high-capacity magazines used in mass shootings.
On Wednesday, the Senate passed the bill on a party-line vote after a lengthy debate and one Republican lawmaker warned it would ultimately be vetoed. The House version passed the chamber last week, also along party lines.
Other gun control proposals that passed the General Assembly with support from Democrats include a ban on assault weapons in public places, a ban on plastic guns that can be missed by metal detectors, and a ban on guns made of plastic that can be missed by metal detectors. This includes a ban on carrying concealed firearms. On the premises of a restaurant or club that sells alcohol. Additional legislation would create civil penalties for anyone who leaves a firearm in plain sight in a vehicle and would require anyone purchasing a firearm to take a firearms safety course or “certify competency” with a firearm. Mandatory.
“If the governor wants to keep Virginians safe, we hope he will sign these bills into law,” said volunteer Mike Fox, leader of the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action. said.
Meanwhile, a handful of bills are making their way to Yonkin's desk with broad bipartisan support.
One would be to expand the types of firearm safety devices eligible for previously enacted tax credits. Another proposal is to ban autoshears, which convert semi-automatic pistols into automatic weapons. The older ones allowed by federal law will be allowed, Van Cleave said.
A third bill would create a legal mechanism for parents to be charged with felonies under the state's child abuse and neglect law if they allow a child known to be dangerous to have access to a firearm. said Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, the bill's sponsor, a Democrat.
VanValkenburg said he worked on the bill with the family of Lucia Bremer, a 13-year-old girl from suburban Richmond who was shot nine times in 2021 after walking home from school with a friend.
The teenager, who was 14 at the time but was tried as an adult, pleaded guilty last year to first-degree murder and other charges in Bremer's killing. However, the boy's legal guardian, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor because the boy obtained a gun, was acquitted of the misdemeanor charge.
“Lucia died on the garage floor while I stroked her hair and tried to revive her.” Partly because we chose to keep it easily accessible to young people,” Bremer's mother, Meredith Bremer, told the Senate committee.
The bill passed the Senate committee with a bipartisan vote of 13-0, with two Republicans abstaining.
When Van Cleve took the stand against the bill, he faced pointed questions from Sen. Mark Peek, a Lynchburg Republican, and gun rights groups met with VanValkenburg to find a compromise. I asked.
The Democratic legislative majority also rejected a series of Republican-backed gun bills, including one that would have increased minimum sentences for using or displaying a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.
