Christine Payne, LWV-Williamsburg
We have a gun violence problem in the Commonwealth. Since the tragic mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, the General Assembly has demonstrated a woeful lack of political will to enact any meaningful legislation to address the greater-than 1000 gun deaths each year. Virginia Voters spoke out on November 5th. They elected a majority who ran on the commitment to enact evidence-based legislation intended to reduce gun violence in our communities. A Forbes study reported that gun safety was the top issue for Virginia Voters. “It’s clear that the public doesn’t just support gun safety, but are now deciding their votes based on where candidates stand on gun policy.”
Currently, attention has been focused on the extremist gun lobby’s attempt to promote sanctuary status as it applies to gun ownership. A concerted effort to designate localities as 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries has grown, primarily in rural counties. These largely symbolic gestures have no basis in the law.
The 2020 General Assembly session promises to bring real change to the state code as it pertains to dangerous weapons. The LWV Gun Violence Prevention Interest Group advocates for legislation intended to enhance public safety while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. We will maintain our vigilance during the session, and communicate with our state senators and house delegates. Thus far, bills that have been filed to address Gun Violence in the Commonwealth reflect those filed during the Governor’s Special Session in July. Policies addressing who can have weapons and legal mechanisms to remove them from dangerous individuals are essential and include categories of prohibited purchasers; intersection with domestic violence; disarming prohibited purchasers; extreme risk protection orders; and minimum age. These policies are built on cornerstone legislation, Universal Background Checks, the foundation upon which all other gun violence prevention policies must build.
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The following information is from the original VA Gun Bills Chart: Ruth Hoffman December 8, 2019
Area: Universal Background Checks
- Objective
- Impose mandatory background checks on all sales with exceptions for certain family; penalties
- Senate Bill
- SB12 Saslaw; Firearm transfers; criminal history record information; penalty Class 1 misdemeanor charge transferor, no penalty on transferee
- SB70 Lucas;Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks; penalty Class 6 Felony on transferor/Class 1 Misdemeanor on transferee
- House Bill
- HB2 Plum; Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks; penalty (companion bill to SB; also establishes appropriations)
Area: Extreme Risk Protective Order
- Objective
- Allow law enforcement officials, often at the request of family members, to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from a person behaving dangerously before tragedy occurs.
- Senate Bill
- House Bill
Area: Child Access Prevention (CAP)
- Objective
- Prevent young people from accessing firearms to reduce youth-related gun violence, unintended shootings and suicide.
- Senate Bill
- SB18 Saslaw; Firearms criminal history record information checks, age requirements, penalty.
- SB75 Howell; Minors; allowing access to firearms, penalty
- House Bill
- HB72 Kory; Children; allowing access to firearms by children; recklessly leaving loaded, unsecured firearm
Area: Lost and Stolen Weapons
- Objective
- Require individuals to report their lost or stolen weapons to law enforcement within 24 hour of discovery to reduce the flow of illegal guns
- Senate Bill
- SB67 McClellan; Firearms; reporting lost or stolen, civil penalty.
- House Bill
- HB9 Bourne (Companion Bill)
Area: 1 Gun a Month
- Objective
- Reinstate the limitation on purchasing no more than 1 handgun a month, repealed in 2012. Reduce the flow of illegal guns.
- Senate Bill
- SB22 Saslaw; SB69 Locke; Handguns; limitation on purchases, penalty
- House Bill
Area: Ban on Dangerous Weapons
- Objective
- Prohibit weapons designed to maximize lethality from civilian ownership, including semi-automatic assault rifles, suppressors, high capacity magazines and bump-stocks
- Senate Bill
- SB14 Saslaw; Trigger activators; prohibition, penalty.
- SB16 Saslaw; Assault firearms and certain firearm magazines; prohibiting sale, transport, etc., penalties.
- House Bill
Area: Disarm Domestic Violence
- Objective
- Protective Orders should prohibit respondents from possessing firearms. Broaden restraining order to include temporary orders, dating partners and a relinquishment law to ensure that firearms are removed from abusers.
- Senate Bill
- SB76 Howell; Protective orders; possession of firearms, penalty.
- House Bill
The 28th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr Vigil and Advocacy Day for the Victims of Gun Violence will be held Monday, January 20th, beginning at 2 p.m.on the Capitol Steps, in Richmond. This will be followed by legislator visits in the Pocahontas Building, beginning at 3 p.m.