U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Governor Northam today signed gun control bills that passed during the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. He had already signed a bill that removed the option to take the required training to apply for a concealed handgun permit through online classes. Today he signed all but four (companion bills) of the remaining bills. He had until 11:59 PM tomorrow to do so. Most of the bills will become effective on July 1, 2020, but a few will become effective on January 1, 2021. While we don’t like these bills, the bills signed today are not as bad as they could be. The combined efforts of VSSA, the NRA, and others, helped make these bills less restrictive than they were introduced. Handgun rationing includes an exemption for individuals that have a concealed handgun permit. The so-called “universal” background check bill only applies to sales. Firearms given as gifts do not require a background check on the person receiving a gift.
ABC News reported that during a conference call with gun ban advocates today, Governor Northam said, “This is an exciting day for me.”
USA Today reported that “Missing from the package that Northam had proposed, was a ban on the sale of ‘assault’ firearms and guns with high capacity magazines. On Friday, Northam vowed to reintroduce the measure in the next legislative session.
“We can’t stop here. We need to keep working on this issue. It will be year after year,” Northam said on a press call.”
ABC News also reported that gun-ban advocates are planning to replicate their success in Virginia in other states. John Feinblatt, president of Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety, told ABC News that his group plans to spend heavily in key battleground states this year like Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania to elect lawmakers who support new gun ban laws.
Feinblatt further told ABC News that their polling indicates that a gun-ban agenda is popular in those states and that Virginia is a “bellwether” of what’s to come.
Bills signed by the Governor are:
- Senate Bill 70 and House Bill 2, which establish universal background checks in Virginia
- Senate Bill 240 and House Bill 674, which establish an Extreme Risk Protective Order, allowing authorities to temporarily take guns away from people deemed to be dangerous to themselves or others This bill was also amended thanks to the combined efforts of the pro-rights groups like VSSA by adding some additional due-process protections
- Senate Bill 69 and House Bill 812, which reinstate Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month law but individuals with a concealed handgun permit are exempted from the limit on purchase.
- House Bill 9, which requires gun owners to report their lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours or face a civil penalty. This too was amended from the original 24 hours.
- House Bill 1083, which toughens the penalty for leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in a reckless manner that endangers a child under the age of 14. This bill was amended from the original felony penalty as well as keeping the age at 14 instead of the under 18 years old as introduced.
Four bills (they are companion bills) were amended but the text is not yet available on the Legislative Information System. The changes will have to be approved by both the House and Senate during this month’s Reconvened Session. Those bills are:
- Senate Bill 35 and House Bill 421, which give local governments more authority to ban guns in public spaces, like public buildings, parks, recreation centers, and during permitted events— The governor requested amendments clarifying the exemption included in the bill for institutions of higher education
- Senate Bill 479 and House Bill 1004, which bar people with protective orders against them from possessing firearms and require them to turn over their guns within 24 hours
About Virginia Shooting Sports Association:
The Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA) was originally founded as the Virginia State Rifle and Revolver Association in 1938. VSSA is the official state association of the National Rifle Association. VSSA is also closely affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), Virginia Outdoor Sports Information Network (VOSIN), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Virginia Gun Collectors Association, and the Virginia Wildlife Federation (VWF). Visit: www.myvssa.org
Another prime example of a politician that has no use for our constitution or the oath he took. Make no mistake. This is just another step towards control. The gun control act of 1968 was the beginning of the end of the 2nd amendment and it has been a systematic attack on it ever since.
Yep, better have another protest, cause that’s working so well for you.
This oath breaking politician forgot who his boss is, The people!
These democratic/socialist/communist career criminals have endangered the American public.
Anti-Constitutionalist’s=Anti-Americans=Enemies of the United States…
“This Better End Soon My Friend”.
I suppose you guys STILL think that you can protest and vote your way out of this. Ya’ll best get on that cattle car quietly boy, cause you goin to the camps.
@Some guy Exactly right…the VCDL (or whatever that group is) should’ve taken the courthouse by whatever means necessary and arrested this bastard back when they were in a position to do so.
The cancer has grown, and excising it grows more difficult and painful by the day.
The slowly boiled frog concept applies here. It’s not one big clear-cut moment, but a crap-load of tiny little infringements, which, when added together make for a huge problem. It’s like a ratchet that goes only one way.
“While we don’t like these bills, the bills signed today are not as bad as they could be.”
I’m saddened to read this here on Ammoland. There can be no retreat in the fight for our rights. Laws that prohibit or restrict can not be accepted in any form.
I say wake up and look around you. Our Founding Fathers would be shooting by now.
You’re surprised? By what? That 98 percent of gun owners are weak and soft? These antifa/DNC thugs are going to herd you from the trains to the showers like the Nazis did the Jews.
SG, my father was rounded up by the Nazi’s in WWII twice and escaped both times. My promise to my parents is that I will never allow that to happen in this country.
Are you training in a militia? Mine has upped it’s meets now to 2 Sunday’s a month.
This weekend will include radio work. I’m bringing my new Baofeng.
Ansel, The articles was by VSSA, not AmmoLand.
The same thing struck me when I read it. It sounds like the apologies that NRA posts. “It coulda bin worse, but we fought a reguard action while retreating.”
In their defense, the state is turning blue, no question. Lots of place s went 2A Sanctuary, but the numbers are with the socialists. What’s worse is that the numbers are increasing.
Just keep the flow of illegal aliens pouring in. Release those prisoners. Make sure everyone is indebted to the government. Yup – the state is turning blue.
@Whatzit
The biggest source of Overflow into Virginia are “Pour-overs” from DC, and it is the DC crowd who are turning a very small section of the state blue. The problem is that while they don’t comprise the majority of the state by coverage, they do have total population numbers for the areas they are in.
Think of it this way, its the same thing as Californians fleeing California only to try instituting the same crap they were running away from California because of what it did there. Same exact thing, just DC swamp creatures instead of baked granolas
At least one snowflake melted because of what I wrote here last night.
My job is fulfilled. 🙂
Gotcha, good to know. Something didn’t seem right. Wasn’t the Ammoland I know. I actually expected to see Harolds name on it when I looked to see.
Until “We the People” physically, and yes, possibly violently, take back our country, the left will continue to whittle away at our freedoms, making us more and more subjected to their tyranny and control. I find Notham completely off based when it comes to our rights!!! He’s pushing the globalist, progressive agenda, and that agenda has ONE GOAL, that being the removal of all guns from private citizens at some point in the NEAR future!!! If you don’t believe that, you’re a fool.
Our Founding Father would already have been finished shooting a second time.
Northam is not right in the head. This is a man who advocates killing live born babies.
The man needs to be given a psychiatric evaluation. He is a power hungry lunatic.
Yes he is, much like every other Democrat in this country.
Right, Nazis tried to kill all off the jews, among others. this baby murdering bastard is just as bad as hitler and his Nazi compatriots.
Can Blackface be red flagged for conspiracy to murder children under guise of abortion. Remove his legislative approval rights. Force him to sue for their return. Wouldn’t that be special.
The most exciting day for many Virginians will be the day he is no longer governor!
ras52, NEXT to most exciting.
Dave, 10 4 to that!
The fine people of the commonwealth put this buffoon in office
Think they will leave the spread head to town and vote next time?
Sempai, Gawd, I hope so. If I can haul my carcass out and vote they should be able to.
@Dave in Fairfax
I have surveyed from the great dismal swamp to rocky gap in the great state of VA on pipeline, good people lots of land although don’t care for the Newport news area east to the shipyards ( damn protesters ) and I hate to see this happen to the commonwealth
Non-Compliance is the answer right now. These two quotes should tell you everything you need to know. 1. “While we don’t like these bills, the bills signed today are not as bad as they could be.” 2. ““We can’t stop here. We need to keep working on this issue. It will be year after year,” Northam said on a press call.” ~The troll, Northam We have groups and individuals on the right who will shrug their shoulders and say “Could have been worse”, but the mindset of the tyrants is always “We can get more next time, so kill them… Read more »
What a dick.