Virginia legislators will begin a special session tomorrow to address gun-control laws. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, called the session after a May 31 shooting in Virginia Beach that killed 12.
Last week Northam released a final list of eight measures he wants legislators to address in the session. Many have been considered by the Republican-controlled General Assembly before, but haven't made it far. One new proposal is to bar those with final protective orders from possessing firearms. Current law only prohibits those with final protective orders for family abuse from owning firearms, Amy Friedenberger reports for The Roanoke Times.
Among Northam's proposals: background checks for all gun buyers; bans of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, bump stocks and silencers; restoration of a law limiting handgun purchases to one per month; a new law to require that lost and stolen firearms be reported to police within 24 hours; allow local governments to pass gun laws stricter than the state's; raise the punishment for letting a child gain access to loaded, unsecured firearms from a misdemeanor to a felony; and raise the age of the children to whom that law applies to from 14 to 18.
"Northam is also interested in extreme risk protection orders, which allow a third party — in Virginia, officials said this would be a police officer or prosecutor — to petition a judge for a warrant to seize legally owned guns if someone is determined to be an immediate threat to themselves or others," Friedenberger writes.
Last week Northam released a final list of eight measures he wants legislators to address in the session. Many have been considered by the Republican-controlled General Assembly before, but haven't made it far. One new proposal is to bar those with final protective orders from possessing firearms. Current law only prohibits those with final protective orders for family abuse from owning firearms, Amy Friedenberger reports for The Roanoke Times.
Among Northam's proposals: background checks for all gun buyers; bans of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, bump stocks and silencers; restoration of a law limiting handgun purchases to one per month; a new law to require that lost and stolen firearms be reported to police within 24 hours; allow local governments to pass gun laws stricter than the state's; raise the punishment for letting a child gain access to loaded, unsecured firearms from a misdemeanor to a felony; and raise the age of the children to whom that law applies to from 14 to 18.
"Northam is also interested in extreme risk protection orders, which allow a third party — in Virginia, officials said this would be a police officer or prosecutor — to petition a judge for a warrant to seize legally owned guns if someone is determined to be an immediate threat to themselves or others," Friedenberger writes.
House Republicans have not released a list of counter-proposals, "but House Speaker Kirk Cox has said they plan to introduce legislation to impose tougher penalties — including mandatory minimums — against offenders. Northam has vowed not to sign any more mandatory minimum legislation for the remainder of his term," Friedenberger reports.
The Republicans have one- and two-vote majorities in the two chambers. Northam has said he believes some of his proposals can get enough Republican supporters to pass, Friedenberger reports.
Northam's optimism may be warranted, say researchers at the nonpartisan Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy. Recent polling they conducted found that Republican voters "oppose gun control generally but strongly favor specific gun-control proposals that will likely be on the agenda in the special session," center Director Quentin Kidd said.
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