Governor Glenn Youngkin took action regarding 67 pieces of legislation Tuesday, with a number of gun control bills vetoed, amended, or signed by the governor.
Youngkin said in a statement his actions represent a balance between advancing public safety and “protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms.”
“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of Virginia,” explained Youngkin.
The governor stated, “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.”
One of the two gun control bills signed by Youngkin is HB 36, also SB 44 in the Virginia Senate, which makes it a felony for a parent or other adult responsible for childcare to allow a child to gain access to a firearm after receiving notice “that such child poses a threat of violence of physical harm,” or has been convicted of a violent juvenile felony.
The other gun control legislation signed by the governor is HB 22, or SB 210, which prohibits the manufacturer, transfer, or possession of an illegal device lawmakers say is used to convert semiautomatic firearms into automatic weapons.
Youngkin amended six more gun control bills, including legislation regarding when weapons can be brought into a mental health hospital, penalties for removing serial numbers from a firearm or owning a gun without serial numbers, and legislation requiring parents to be notified of their legal requirement to store firearms safely.
The governor also amended HB 173, or SB 100, which would make it a felony offense to own, sell, or transfer a plastic firearm or an unfinished frame or receiver. Youngkin wants to amend the legislation to establish “a knowledge standard for manufacturing, importing, selling, transferring or possessing any plastic firearm and introduce mandatory minimum sentences for the subsequent use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. “
An additional 30 bills were vetoed by the governor, including HB 2 and SB 2, which would have made it a misdemeanor offense to sell or transfer a gun to an individual prohibited from owning firearms, even if the seller did not know the purchaser’s Second Amendment rights were restricted.
The latest round of vetoes came after Democratic leadership in the General Assembly held a press conference in support of their proposed budget, challenging Youngkin’s claim it is “backward” and needs serious work.
Democratic House Majority Leader Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) remarked during the press conference that Virginia Democrats “will not be vetoed into agreeing” with Youngkin and will not “cave into his threats.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Glenn Youngkin” by Governor of Virginia. Background Photo “Glenn Youngkin” by Governor of Virginia.
