*VPM Intern Alan Rodriguez Espinoza reported this story
The Virginia Senate Judiciary committee reviewed ten gun bills Monday, many of which were part of Governor Ralph Northam’s legislative proposals. All but one now move to the full Senate for a vote.
The committee striked down a bill that would have banned people found guilty of stalking, sexual battery or hate crimes from having a gun. This was not one of the Governor’s bills.
Before making a motion to pass on the bill for the year, Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) said lawmakers have already passed enough gun control measures this session.
“At some point you gotta say we need to hold back on a couple ideas for next year,” Petersen said.
Kelly Roskam of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence testified in favor of the bill, insisting that Virginians cannot afford to wait.
“In the year preceding an attempted femicide, 76 percent of victims were stalked,” Roskam explained.
While this bill failed, the committee approved the rest of the ten bills it reviewed. The following House bills will now face a full vote on the Senate floor:
- A bill would require background checks for firearm transfers
- A bill that would require lost firearms to be reported within 24 hours. Violators would have to pay a fine no greater than $250
- A bill that would remove the option to apply for a concealed handgun permit through an online course
- A bill that would give localities the authority to decide for themselves how to regulate the possession, carry and transportation of guns and ammunition
- A proposed red flag law that would allow police to temporarily remove firearms from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. Under this bill, courts would not be required to consult the Commonwealth Attorney
- A bill that would limit firearm purchases to one per month
- A bill that would prohibit a person subject to a protective order from possessing a gun
- A bill that would limit the carrying of a firearm on school property
- A bill that would charge a person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecured gun in the presence of a minor under 14 years old with a class 1 misdemeanor