RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed gun bills sent to him by the Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly, including a proposal to set restrictions on buying assault-style weapons.
After winning control of the General Assembly in last November’s elections, Virginia Democrats vowed to focus on public safety and gun violence during the 2024 legislative session. Without a two-thirds majority in the assembly, Democrats can’t override any of Youngkin’s vetoes.
Several bills pushed by Democrats aimed to impose more restrictions on guns, ranging from a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons built after July 2024 to requiring a five-day waiting period for all gun purchases.
Youngkin’s office announced Tuesday that he signed 31 new bills, recommended changes to six and vetoed 30 bills. Most of the bills he signed were uncontroversial and sailed out of the legislature, but the ones he vetoed were Democrat-led gun-control proposals.
“News this afternoon that 2 more of my bills, prospectively banning assault style weapons, and keeping guns off college campuses are being vetoed,” state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) posted on X on Tuesday afternoon. “Shameful and unthinking action!”
The legislation on assault-style weapons that Sen. Deeds noted passed both chambers of the General Assembly along party lines.
It would have banned the possession, purchase, selling, manufacturing or transporting of certain “assault firearms” – a semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol with a magazine that can hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed to add a silencer or equipped with a folding stock – built on or after July 2024.
It also would have banned people under 21 years old from possessing these weapons, which include the AR-15, and banned the future sale or possession of high-capacity ammunition-feeding devices capable of having more than 10 rounds that were built in or after July 2024.
When the legislation was up for debate in the Virginia Senate, Senate Democratic Leader Scott Surovell (Fairfax) said it wouldn’t require people to “turn in” any of their semi-automatic weapons. He urged other senators to move forward with passing restrictions on assault-style weapons “because Americans and Virginians are being terrorized” by them.
Republicans who spoke against the bill questioned whether the proposal was constitutional and argued that it wouldn’t address public safety concerns over mass shootings, but would make people less safe.
One Republican, state Sen. Bill Stanley (Franklin), guaranteed the bill would be vetoed during that debate.
“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of Virginia, and that absolutely includes protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Youngkin did sign two gun-related proposals — put forward by Democrats in identical measures introduced in each chamber — that got bipartisan support this year.
One bans devices known as “auto sears” that convert firearms to shoot automatically more than one shot without manual reloading.
The other will make it a felony for gun owners to allow a child who poses a potential risk to have access to a firearm. The bill was spurred by the 2021 killing of Lucia Bremer, a teen who was fatally shot by another teen while walking home in Henrico County.
“I am pleased to sign four public safety bills which are commonsense reforms with significant bipartisan support from the General Assembly, and offer recommendations to several bills which, if adopted, will make it harder for criminals to use guns in the commission of a violent act,” Youngkin said in his statement.
Sen. Surovell also took to social media Tuesday to share that one of his gun bills was getting axed by Youngkin.
The bill that Youngkin vetoed, Surovell wrote on X, would have given guidance to judges and magistrates on factors they should consider when potentially deciding to take away someone’s guns under Virginia’s so-called “red-flag law.”
This includes whether the subject of the substantial risk order has committed acts of violence, criminal offenses resulting in injuries, self-harm, made threats or violated provisions in protective orders and more.
“Governor is vetoing my bill to clarify when red flag orders can issue & can be used for minors who threaten to shoot up their schools which are supported by 80% of voters – Public safety is about more than mandatory minimums & locking people up longer,” Surovell posted on X.
Here are the bills that Youngkin recommended amendments to, according to his office:
- HB 861 & SB 515 Weapons; carrying into hospital that provides mental health services: Under current law, firearms are banned from public hospitals and private hospitals have the ability to ban firearms. The Governor’s recommendation focuses on criminals who transfer firearms to a person receiving mental health treatment at a hospital.
- SB 363. Firearm; removing, altering, selling, etc., or possessing w/removed, etc., serial number, penalty: The amendment aligns the bill with federal law and federal definitions for serial numbers.
- HB 173 and SB 100 Plastic firearms and unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties: The amendment establishes a knowledge standard for manufacturing, importing, selling, transferring or possessing any plastic firearm and introduces mandatory minimum sentences for the subsequent use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
- SB 225 School bd. policy; parental notification of responsibility of safe storage of firearms in household: The amendment directs the Department of Education to convene a workgroup to create a comprehensive list of the parental rights and responsibilities and develop an efficient method for distributing such list to parents.
Lawmakers will return to Richmond for the General Assembly’s reconvened session on April 17, when they will consider Youngkin’s amendments and vetoes.
This story is developing. Stay with 8News for updates.
