Virginia House and Senate Pass Sweeping Gun Reform Legislation in the Aftermath of Protests

  Both chambers of the Democratically controlled Virginia State Legislature successfully passed a variety of measures to further regulate guns and promote smart gun ownership on January 30. This legislation comes less than two weeks after twenty-two thousand protestors descended upon Richmondto challenge the proposed gun-control amendments. However, before the demonstrations began, Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) declared a state of emergency on account of “credible intelligence from ... law enforcement agencies'' that indicated a possible repeat of that which transpired during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Nonetheless, in a statement prior to the protests, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, the pro-gun lobbyist organization hosting the event, expressed frustrations at Northam’s attempts to regulate gun ownership while doubling down on their goal to have “no more gun control” in Virginia.

However, in hindsight, the demonstrations seem not to have swayed any lawmakers, as bills passed the State House and Senate Legislature mostly on party-line votes. The primary impact of this legislation from the Virginia House Legislature will be the institution of universal background checks, mandating owners to report the loss or theft of a firearm within 24 hours, and limiting handgun purchases to one per month. Provided Governor Northam gives his seal of approval without remanding the bills with his own amendments, the legislation could go into effect as early as June 1.

Although Democrats succeeded in passing this legislation, that which transpired before and during proceedings highlights persisting divisions between policymakers and their proposals on smart gun ownership. For instance, when the Virginia Senate approved a red flag law, Senator Amanda Chase (R-VAR-11th District) called any legislator in favor of the bill “a traitor to Virginia, a traitor to the Second Amendment and a traitor to our constitutional freedoms.” Nonetheless, Democrats, including House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-VA-46th District), praised the bill as that which the majority of Virginians had long wanted.

With tension surrounding gun rights rising, 91 of Virginia’s 95 counties have declared themselves “Second Amendment Sanctuaries,” where local officials claim they will not enforce gun restriction laws. Several citizens have blasted the new legislation as a “wholesale assault on constitutional rights,” while  Republicans warned of potential “bloodshed…[that] will occur as a result of this bill.”  This enormous public backlash, however, could potentially impede progress made by the Democrats.