We informed you latterly how anti-gun Virginia lawmakers had, for the second 12 months in a row, handed a variety of arguably unconstitutional measures associated to firearms and despatched them to Gov. Glenn Younkin for his consideration. It was like déjà vu over again since those self same lawmakers had handed greater than 30 anti-gun schemes final 12 months.
Thankfully for Virginia gun house owners, Youngkin as soon as once more made good use of his veto pen, vetoing some two dozen punitive restrictions that Democrat lawmakers wished to pressure on their constituents. In keeping with an alert from the Virginia Residents Protection League (VCDL), the governor vetoed 30 gun-control payments, modified six different gun management payments in order that they not pose a menace to Virginia’s lawful gun house owners and signed 4 payments that had been modified within the Basic Meeting altering VCDL’s place from “oppose” to “impartial.”
Amongst a number of the worst measures vetoed had been SB 848 and SB 880. The primary would have raised the acquisition age for sure semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols to 21, whereas the opposite would have prohibited carrying sure semi-automatic centerfire rifles or shotguns on any public avenue, highway, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park or different locations open to the general public.
Two different measures, SB 891 and its Home companion HB1607, would have imposed an arbitrary five-day delay earlier than a law-abiding citizen may take possession of a legally bought firearm. As we’ve talked about many occasions prior to now, there is no such thing as a proof that ready durations scale back suicides, homicides, or mass shootings.
Different payments vetoed would require state-mandated firearms storage and prohibit law-abiding adults and people underneath the age of 21 from proudly owning particular semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols.
“The Democrats and the gun management organizations pushed this 12 months to go simpler on violent criminals, whereas on the identical time attacking folks such as you and me,” VCDL mentioned. “These vetoes are their simply desserts for disrespecting the Structure and minimizing the significance of self-defense for good, first rate folks.”
The Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, which has its headquarters in Virginia and spent plenty of effort lobbying on the state capital, expressed due to Gov. Youngkin for as soon as once more heading off what was sure to be a catastrophe for lawful gun house owners.
“On behalf of Virginia’s NRA members and Second Modification supporters, I need to thank Governor Youngkin for standing robust in his help for the Second Modification by vetoing the litany of gun management payments pushed by means of the Basic Meeting this 12 months,” John Commerford, government director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Motion (NRA-ILA), mentioned in an alert to members. “For the second 12 months in a row, gun management activists tried to enact dozens of radical, California-style legal guidelines that may have severely restricted the Second Modification rights of gun house owners within the Commonwealth. The NRA applauds Governor Youngkin for upholding his promise to guard our Constitutional freedoms.”
As we’ve talked about earlier than, Virginia is a poster little one for the phrase “elections matter.” Had they not elected Youngkin and a Democrat gained the governorship, gun legal guidelines would already be a catastrophe.
This fall Virginia voters will head to the polls to elect a governor, lieutenant governor, lawyer normal and members of the Home of Delegates. When heading to the polls, gun house owners ought to do not forget that it took a terrific effort by Gov. Youngkin to save lots of their butts two years in a row.