Virginia has a long tradition of firearm ownership and hunting dating back to the founding of the Virginia Colony. Virginia is also a large source of firearms recovered in criminal activity in New York City, Washington, DC, Baltimore, and much of the Mid-Atlantic region. Because of this, Virginia led the way in developing instant background checks and instituting Virginia’s One-Gun-A-Month rule that was signed by Governor Wilder in the early 1990’s, but was repealed in 2011 by Governor McDonnell. In 2020, Democrats brought back that common-sense policy and now we are standing up to efforts to repeal it again.
While the United States Supreme Court recently abandoned 200 years of precedent and expanded the Constitutional right to gun ownership, it left open the question of how to balance the rights of owners and public safety. In Virginia, we are taking key steps to protect public safety, including universal background checks, extreme risk protection laws, and allowing localities to regulate firearms on government property and at permitted events such as farmers markets.
The United States continues to have a higher firearm death rate than peer nations. Firearms kill more Virginians than automobile accidents and are the leading cause of death for children. Mass gun murders now occur with regularity in America with one of the worst occurring at our own Virginia Tech. More recently we have seen mass gun crimes at the University of Virginia and in Virginia Beach. While mental health and the federal and state government’s failure to fully fund a robust mental health treatment system plays a role in these crimes, so do the easy availability of military grade weapons online, at gun shows, or in private sales.
Over 90% of Virginians support background checks for firearms transfers. While transfers between family members, pursuant to bequests, or the use of a weapon by someone in an emergency are acceptable, no person should have access to a firearm if there are a risk to the public.
While Virginians have a right to hunt and protect themselves, their family, and their home, the right to individual protection does not require military style weapons, bump stocks, undetectable 3D printed plastic guns, or large ammunition magazines.
We made progress on these issues and I am committed to protecting our progress by resisting efforts to repeal them:
- Universal background checks for all firearms transfers with reasonable exceptions such as family transfers, bequests, or gun shows
- Virginia’s “One-Gun-A-Month” Rule
- A ban on bump stocks
- The Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms List
- The authority for localities to regulate firearms on government property and government permitted events
- Virginia’s Substantial Risk Order laws
There is still more work to do. We must:
- Prohibit the sale and ownership and ownership of assault weapons
- Prohibit the sale or possession of ammunition magazines that will hold more than 20 rounds
- Prohibit concealed carry in restaurants and bars, while consuming or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Prohibit the sale of untraceable self-manufactured “ghost guns” made from kits or 3D printers
- Tighten rules around firearms kept in cars and in homes with children present
- Create increased criminal and civil consequences for individuals who make firearms available to children who injure people
- Establish liability for firearms manufacturers for their dangerous products