At least 60 gun control bills have already been voted down in the Virginia legislature this session.
Virginia is unique. Long a "red" state, the Commonwealth of Virginia has become more "purple" as of late, with Democrats and Republicans both vying for control, but recognizing the need to work together to get anything done. While Democrat Ralph Northam was able to win the governorship in last year's election, the party's advances in the legislature were not enough to flip either chamber. Today, Republicans still hold 21-19 and 51-49 majorities in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, respectively. Governor Northam ran on a promise to promote what he called "common sense gun laws," yet in the first few months of his young administration, few gun control proposals have garnered enough Republican support to reach his desk. All told, there have been 60 gun control proposals introduced this session that were killed in committee. Many of them were duplicates dealing with the same issue. Here are five of the most notable gun control proposals that failed to pass in the Virginia legislature this session.
Universal Background Checks (Senate Bills 5, 145, 412, 432, and 447)
Virginia does not have a universal background check law, meaning that the only firearm purchases or transfers that require a background check are those done through licensed firearm dealers. These laws, while slightly different, all would have required that Virginians undergo a background check when privately buying or selling firearms.
Gun control advocates argue that universal background checks are necessary to monitor who is obtaining guns. Without that, it is impossible for law enforcement to know when a criminal or prohibited person purchases a firearm from a private seller. Gun rights advocates point out that even with a universal background check system, criminals will continue to purchase firearms illegally. They argue that the risks associated with a UBC system, namely a registry of gun owners, outweigh the benefits.
One Handgun a Month Law (Senate Bill 385, House Bills 353 and 650)
In the 1990s, Virginia adopted a "one handgun a month" law. For years, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, not to mention other states, have complained that crime guns in their state were repeatedly being tracked back to dealers in Virginia. Then-Governor L. Douglas Wilder signed legislation into law in 1993 limiting handgun purchases in the state to just one every 30 days. The logic was that this would make it harder for criminals to purchase multiple handguns and traffic them into other states. The law was repealed in 2012.
The "one handgun a month" pre-dated the Supreme Court's 2008 ruling that Americans have a constitutional right to own handguns. Many have questioned whether a resurrected policy would survive legal challenges.
Magazine Capacity Limit (Senate Bill 794, House Bill 927)
Legislation was introduced in both chambers to ban the sale or transfer of firearm magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Virginia does not have a magazine limit on the books. The only thing that comes close is Virginia's "assault weapon law," which prohibits non-citizens using a 20+ round magazine in a semi-automatic rifle. These bills went further, however, by attempting to redefine the term "assault firearm" to mean rifles with magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. These bills would have prohibited dealers from selling "assault firearms" in the Commonwealth.
Stolen Firearm Reporting Requirements (Senate Bills 119, 228, and 443)
All three of these bills would have required Virginia gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours of discovering it is missing. This policy is often recommended as a way to crack down on illegal gun trafficking by punishing gun owners who repeatedly (and deliberately) have their guns stolen.
Ban on Bump Stocks and Similar Devices (Senate Bill 1, House Bill 41)
After the Las Vegas concert shooting, in which a gunman used a "bump fire stock" to fire on concert-goers faster, Virginia Democrats proposed legislation to ban the devices in-state. Bump fire stocks work by harnessing a semi-automatic rifle's recoil to make it easier for someone to quickly actuate a trigger.
However, the legislation introduced was overly broad and would have banned any device that is designed or functions to accelerate semi-automatic firing. Republican legislators criticized the bill for putting a broad array of gun accessories -- everything from competition triggers to cosmetic and ergonomic customizations -- in the crosshairs. Because the bill was overly broad, even Republican legislators who opposed bump stocks voted against this bill.
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