Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Vetoes Pro-Gun Bills

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe was busy this past week, signing several pro-gun bills while vetoing some others.

McAuliffe is, for the record, not a true gun-rights supporter. During his campaign for office, he took donation money from former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and voiced support for universal background checks, banning so-called “assault-weapons” and a one-gun-a-month rule.

According to the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, McAuliffe vetoed the following bills:

Senate Bill 948: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Richard Stuart (R-28), SB 948 would prohibit the sharing of information on concealed handgun permit holders with law enforcement in states that do not have reciprocity agreements with Virginia. This prohibits states hostile to gun ownership from going on fishing expeditions and using this information as an excuse to harass law-abiding Virginia permit holders while they are traveling out of state.

Senate Bill 1137: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 1137 would prohibit local ordinances that ban concealed carry permit holders from transporting a loaded rifle or shotgun, eliminating a patchwork of inconsistent laws that are unnecessarily confusing for law-abiding citizens.

House Bill 2009: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Dave LaRock (R-33), HB 2009 would require that when certification of a chief law enforcement officer is required by federal law for transfer of a firearm as defined in the National Firearms Act, such certification must be provided within 60 days if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving the firearm. The reforms in this bill would benefit Virginia’s law-abiding firearm owners by ensuring the process to obtain certain federally-regulated firearms, already legal in Virginia, remains fair, fact-based and objective.

McAuliffe also signed the following:

Senate Bill 838: Sponsored by Senator Kenneth Alexander (D-5), SB 838 would extend state resident hunting and fishing licenses to the immediate family of members of the armed forces who are stationed in Virginia

Senate Bill 1191: Sponsored by Senator Tommy Norment (R-3), SB 1191 would amend the felony charge for having a firearm on school property to require that the person must have knowingly possessed the firearm. Inadvertent violations should not result in a felony.

House Bill 1666: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Buddy Fowler (R-55), HB 1666 would allow former Virginia residents to petition to have their gun rights restored in the same manner as residents.

House Bill 2111: Sponsored by Delegate Michael Futrell (D-2), HB 2111 would allow for the use of electronic versions of certain hunting, trapping and fishing licenses.

And the remaining bills have been sent back to their respective chambers for further consideration:

Senate Bill 848: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Bill Stanley (R-20), SB 848 would establish a marksmanship award to recognize the top 20 competitors in each of the rifle and pistol Excellence-in-Competition matches conducted annually at the Virginia State Championships.

House Bill 2286: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Michael Webert (R-18), HB 2286 makes it possible for individuals who had their rights fully restored in other states to possess firearms in Virginia. Under current case law, people with felony convictions whose rights were restored by those states, are nonetheless prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition in Virginia.

On this last bill, the NRA-ILA added the following call to action:

The NRA does not support the changes and requests that you contact legislative officials and ask them to reject the Governor’s amendments.

Please contact your Delegates and state Senators TODAY and urge them to reject the Governor’s amendments on House Bill 2286.