POLITICS

General Assembly approves 1 gun safety amendment, sends six back to the governor

Elizabeth Beyer
Staunton News Leader

One of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s amendments was approved by the General Assembly, six were sent back to the governor’s desk for his signature or veto, and attempts to override the governor's veto on 22 gun safety related bills failed during Wednesday's reconvene session.

The General Assembly accepted the governor’s amendment to SB 363,  a bill that would prohibit the purchase, selling, or possession of a firearm with a removed, altered or defaced serial number. That bill will now be enacted into law.  

The legislative body sent six bills that the governor had amended back to his desk in their original form, after his amendments were rejected by the General Assembly, for his veto or signature. Gun safety advocates called on the governor to sign those six bills. He has 30 days to act.

“Now that our lawmakers have sent these bills back to Governor Youngkin in their original state, he has another opportunity to build on the progress from earlier this session and sign them into law,” Shantell Rock, a volunteer with the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement. "Our lawmakers passed these strong gun violence prevention measures because they knew that they were needed to protect our communities.“Governor Youngkin must take this opportunity to build on the bipartisan progress we’ve already made this session. These laws will save lives – Virginians need them,” Sofia Posadas, a volunteer with the University of Virginia Students Demand Action chapter, said in a statement.

Democrats respond to vetoes

General Assembly Democrats attempted to override the governor’s veto on 22 different gun safety bills, during Wednesday’s reconvene session, but those attempts were defeated on party lines in both chambers. A two-thirds vote must be achieved in both chambers to override a veto by the governor.

Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D – Alexandria, said Youngkin “vetoed our safety” when he vetoed nearly 30 gun safety bills.

“We passed bills this session to prevent tragedies from happening again,” she said on the floor of the House. “Virginians are tired of thoughts and prayers.”

Del. Nadarius Clark, D – Suffolk, patron of one of the vetoed bills, HB351, said the bill was meant to protect youths in homes with firearms, and that it was crafted in an effort to keep safe the most vulnerable members of communities.  

Amended bills sent back to the governor

The bills that Youngkin amended and that were sent back to the governor for his veto or signature include:  

  • HB 173 and  SB 100, which would regulate untraceable “ghost guns,” which are do-it-yourself, homemade guns assembled using unfinished, core parts and kits without serial numbers that can be acquired without a background check. The governor’s amendment requested that an unrelated substitute be included – the House determined that substitution was not relevant to the bill subject.
  • HB 498 and SB 225, which would require school boards to annually notify parents of their legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household and information regarding the risks associated with improperly stored firearms. The General Assembly rejected an amendment put forth by the governor which would have required school boards to also notify guardians of their “parental rights.”
  • HB 861 and SB 515, which would prohibit firearms in any facility that provides mental health or developmental services, including hospitals and ERs. The governor’s amendment requested that a substitute be included – the House and Senate both rejected that substitute.

Bills that received bipartisan support and the governor’s signature

Earlier in the session, the General Assembly passed and the governor signed seven gun safety bills. Those bipartisan bills include the following:

  • HB 35, which will expand Virginia’s secure firearm storage tax credit to include more devices such as cable locks and further encouraging firearm owners to securely store their guns.
  • HB 626 and SB 484, which will create the Community Builders Pilot Program and Fund for Roanoke and Petersburg public schools to deter youth gun violence.
  • HB 22 and SB 210, which will prohibit auto sears, which are devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons.
  • HB 36 and SB 44, which will hold gun owners accountable for allowing children under their care with certain dangerous histories to access firearms.