Said Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke after the bills passed: “Today we celebrate yet another milestone in making Virginia a safer place. Common-sense gun safety measures such as universal background checks, one handgun a month, and giving localities the authority to protect their residents are all simple measures that will save the lives of many Virginians. The safety and lives of all Virginians are not and should not be a partisan issue.”
Here are the bills the Virginia Senate passed:
Senate Bill 35 forbids localities from passing firearm-related ordinances that aren’t specifically authorized by state statute. More than 100 cities and counties in Virginiahave passed “Second Amendment sanctuary” ordinances that authorize local authorities not to enforce any new state gun reforms. Scott H. Jenkins, the sheriff of Culpeper County, has said he will “deputize” thousands of concealed-weapons permit-holders so they can get around any new laws. In Tazewell County, officials are thinking about creating a county “militia” that would accomplish the same thing. The state attorney general has issued an opinion saying such local nullification is not allowed.
Senate Bill 69 prohibits any person who isn’t a federally licensed firearm dealer from buying more than one handgun in any 30-day period. The bill includes numerous exceptions, including anyone who holds a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit. Virginia previously passed a one-gun-per-month law in 1993, but repealed it in 2012. Maryland, New Jersey, California, the District of Columbia, and New York City had one handgun-a-month laws at the time. But in 2015, a federal appeals court overturned the D.C. law. In October 2019, California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill extending the state’s one-handgun-a-month limitation to rifles and shotguns.
Senate Bill 70 would require background checks for all sales or other transfers of firearms with exemptions for immediate family members and other narrowly drawn exceptions. Currently, federal law only requires background checks when a firearm is bought from a licensed dealer, not from private individuals. Twelve states and the District of Columbia require background checks for all gun purchases, two others require it for handguns only, and nine others have some kind of background check requirement stricter than federal law. Various polls show that around 90% of Americans support universal background checks.
Easily the most controversial Virginia gun-reform proposal, Senate Bill 16, was axed by the Judiciary Committee after its sponsor decided to pull it. It would have banned importing, selling, transferring, manufacturing, purchasing, possessing, or transporting an assault firearm. It would also bar carrying a shotgun magazine holding more than seven rounds of ammunition, and ban importing or selling any firearm magazine meant to hold more than 10 rounds. Eight states and the District of Columbia have banned the sale and possession of assault weapons except those that were owned before a certain date, which varies from state to state.
Source: http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/V-Mr9xEKh58/-Will-three-gun-reform-bills-passed-by-the-Virginia-Senate-spark-right-wing-violence-at-rally-today