RICHMOND
Tearful parents of students murdered and wounded at the Virginia Tech shooting rampage in the spring were rebuffed Friday in their efforts to broaden laws requiring Virginians to undergo police background checks before buying guns.
State law now orders licensed gun vendors to conduct the checks on potential buyers to weed out illegal sales to felons and mentally ill people. However, one-on-one sales between citizens are allowed without the check.
Republicans controlling the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee voted in bloc against legislation that would bar private sales at gun shows.
Tech parents said private sales make it possible for troubled people such as Seung-Hui Cho to acquire guns. Cho, a Tech student with a history of psychological problems, killed 32 classmates and faculty members in April and wounded 17 before committing suicide.
“Please don’t say these innocent lives were lost,” said Lori Haas of Richmond, whose daughter Emily survived two shots in her head, speaking to the committee. “They weren’t lost; they were killed by a sick person who should not have had that gun. Every one of you sitting here today can prevent someone else from suffering this anguish.”
Republicans on the panel and gun rights lobbyists voiced sympathy for the victims but said the Tech parents’ efforts are misdirected. Cho did not buy the two pistols he used at Tech at guns shows. He bought one from a pawnbroker, the other online, and passed background checks both times.
“Gun shows are not part of what happened there,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, who accused gun control advocates of using the Tech tragedy to advance their cause. “Some of those who are not in favor of guns saw this as an opportunity to open up the toy box.”
The defeat of HB745 signals the likely death of all attempts in the General Assembly to end one-on-one sales – an effort supported by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.
A similar bill, SB109, is scheduled to be heard Monday in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. Proponents hope the measure will receive favorable treatment in the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats. But even if the measure passes the Senate, it would wind up back in the hands of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee.
The legislation died on a 13-9 vote in the House committee on Friday, with all Republican members voting to defeat the measure and all Democrats voting to pass it.
For the past eight years, the 22-member House panel has been nicknamed “The Killing Fields” because of its record of defeating gun control measures. The last two Republican speakers have stocked the committee with members who have pro-gun voting records.
Of the entire 140-member General Assembly, only 10 legislators received an “A+” rating from the National Rifle Association last fall for their pro-gun voting records. Eight of those lawmakers are on the Militia Committee. An additional eight members of the panel received “A” grades from the NRA.
Three parents of Tech victims attended the hearing. The patron of the House bill – Del. Chuck Caputo, D-Fairfax – said more wanted to come, but he was unable to organize a larger turnout because GOP leaders waited until 4 p.m. Thursday to tell him his bill would be considered the next morning.
Republicans on the panel rejected Caputo’s request to delay the hearing for a week so more Tech parents could attend. The committee chairwoman – Del. Beverly Sherwood, R-Winchester – said the panel had a pressing agenda in coming weeks.
Republicans said they support efforts this year to improve mental health care in Virginia and to better identify on background checks people like Cho, who was ordered by a judge in 2005 to receive psychiatric counseling.
“We still have plenty of opportunities this winter to deal with the real problems behind the Tech tragedy,” said Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William.
Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com
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Tim Kaine must think we are dumb
How ridiculous is it to attempt to use the parents of Cho's victims to get a law passed that had no relation to the circumstances leading to the Tech killings? And now he is trying to get a bill passed barring checks that a rape accuser is telling the truth before some boy's life is ruined as in the Duke case. Wake up Virginia. Stop allowing our sneaky governor to play to your emotions in his effort for greater government control over our lives.
Per "rrc1943"
"...all that was proposed is that there be some way to ensure that the buyer is someone who can be trusted to use a gun responsibly." You must mean the same checks in place that completely missed the notes about a court labeled dangerous psychopath like Cho right? Because I mean those checks worked out really great for Virginia Tech and all.
Per "Airport Bum"
"So what if trying to plug this loophole is not related to Cho's purchase of the gun he used to kill 32 people. It is still a loophole that needs to be plugged. It doesn't have to be related to the Virginia Tech shootings in order to be a flaw in the law that needs to be corrected." I'm sorry... I thought they were trying to cash in on the Tech killings by using the families of those kids to drum up support for this bill. I guess I did not see those family members being used by the state giving flowery speeches about closing a loophole that had nothing to do with their children dying after all. I clearly must have been mistaken.
Gun Show
I will ditto Pierre on this one.
This is rediculious...
I am glad the house was smart enough to reject this bill. They should also overturn outlawing guns on college campuses. I mean seriously, if that whack job was not the only one with a gun on campus do you really think that he would have killed that many people? If we had LESS gun laws I strongly believe the incident would have never left the dorm and only two people would be killed, the crazy one and the first girl he shot. Really why should I not have the right to protect myself on campus? As for loopholes, he would have gotten a gun anyways so why even make the law? Gun laws are for law abiding citizens.
Money, as usual, speaks in the General Assembly
Once again, the NRA has shown that it owns the General Assembly. For politicians, common sense is always secondary to lining their pockets with "campaign contributions," or, more accurately, bribes. Arguments that 2nd Amendment rights were threatened by the proposed legislation are disingenuous. No one is being prevented from buying a gun; all that was proposed is that there be some way to ensure that the buyer is someone who can be trusted to use a gun responsibly. What do those who oppose this legislation have to fear? Are they trying to hide something?
Enough already........
Enough with the CRYING and COMPLAINING already. Yes the VT shootings were a tragedy, but a criminal is going to get a gun anyway they can. It doesn't make a difference how many laws or loopholes that are out there they are going to get one. I too have been to a few gun shows and yes I also had a back ground check done. For those of you who think it doesn't happen, the next time a gun show is in the area, go see for yourself, tell a dealer that you what to purchase a gun and see if they do the background check. I bet they do. GO NRA!!!!!!
Loophole BS
Can any of these anti-gun politicians or others trying to close the so-called "gun show loophole" show one documented proven case where a felon, criminal, seriously mentally ill person bought a gun at a gun show??
I'm sure all the liberal papers in the country would be blasting it across the front pages of their papers if they could. Instead, because they can't, they are trying to take advantage of the Tech tragedy to advance their agenda.
Instead they should be advocating that people be allowed to protect themselves and remove the authority of administrators at Tech and other schools to prohibit legally licensed CCW holders from carrying on campus and in other public areas. As much as they try, the police cannot be everywhere all the time to protect you and the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that they have no duty to protect you individually. So you are responsible for your and your family's protection.
Gun Law Loophole
Surprise, Surprise!! The NRA and the tobacco industry have a strong foothold in the Commonweath. Who would have known?
Rights
Second Amendment prevails. Thank you!
Great work by the MPPS Committee!!
All those Democrats who voted FOR this bill to ban private gun sales will find that this COMMITTEE vote may haunt them in the future, especially if they plan to run for state office some day.
Next stop, Monday at 9AM when the Senator Marsh's bill to ban private sales will be crushed as well.
Useless
Everytime I have purchased a gun, I have went through a background check. But, reality is, most who are going to commit a crime with a gun are not going to use one that is registered in their own name duh? Which comes with the background check. Closing this so called loop will do nothing for the guns being used in crimes. They are bought off the street for the most part. The Tech guy bought his with a background check, did it save those people? No, sadly. If he could not have bought it legally, he would have probably turned to the streets. Nothing in his way there. A lot of people buy for other people(spouse,brother,sister) who can't pass a background check. If someone wants a gun, they will get it. No law or background check will stop them. That is a fact and reality.
Not to beat a dead horse but....
....there is no loophole. That's just a myth conjured up by paranoid anti-gun advocates that spread like wildfire. The truth of the matter is a person does get a background check before purchasing a gun at a show. If you want to actually do something worthwhile, focus your efforts on passing laws that require an agency to permanently record that a person has a history of mental illness. Cho would not have been able to purchase his guns if his background check revealed that he had been diagnosed with a mental disorder. JMO.
What loophole? I worked at a
What loophole? I worked at a gunshow last weekend. We had someone on the phone with the feds the whole time doing backgroudn checks and so did every other dealer. We have the 4473s to prove it (if you don't even know what that is, please don't comment on what you know nothing about). The "gunshow loophole" is a MYTH!
The vast majority of criminals get their guns through criminal actions. No law will stop them as criminals, by defintion, don't obey laws.
terrrorists love it
Just a way for terrorists to buy guns with no background checks. You're either against the terrorists or not.
Gun Sale Loophole
Please publish names delagates the killed bill. It should also cover pawn shops. Short or no notice is the norm for the party in control!
Huge Myth about "The Loophole"
Does anyone realize that it has never been illegal for a private citizen to sell their own gun to another private citizen, be it at a gun show or their own home? Only licensed dealers are required to do background checks, gun show or not. I want to see an actual survey done at a gun show for all those who are walking out the door after purchasing a firearm. See how many went through a background check. You'd be suprised at the truth. This has been propaganda that has been spread to scare people into thinking that anyone can walk into a gun show and purchase any gun they wanted, no questions asked. The truth has been so far buried that people are being manipulated by what they think is true and by their emotions devoid of actual facts. The person I refuse to call by name bought his guns at the "mental illness not reported by the courts" loophole.
Close the Restaurant Carry Loophole instead
Law abiding Concealed Handgun Permit holders are currently prohibited from carrying concealed in restaurants that serve alcohol, even if they are not drinking. This forces them to choose between carrying openly in the restaurant, which might make some people needlessly nervous, or leaving their handgun in their car. Too often, they choose to leave the firearm unattended in their car and it is stolen. Far more handguns fall into the wrong hands through this kind of theft than through private sales of handguns at gun shows.
So, if your goal is truly to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, while not infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens, then support repeal of the ban on carrying concealed(with a permit) in restaurants so those handguns can be kept under the close control of their owners where they are safe.
What loophole?
The article references the ability to purchase a firearm as a loophole. That's just disingenuous. There is more law enforcement at gun shows this side of a Fraternal Order of Police gathering. Criminals don't like to be around law enforcement, it tends to... you know, cramp their lifestyle.
That sure is playing fast and loose with the English language, using "loophole".
There is no gun show loophole -it's a myth!
The "gun show loophole" is a myth. I have bought guns at gun shows for years. Each time I had to pay for a background check before the dealer could sell me the gun. Federal law already prohibits sales to criminals and mental patients. Why do some in Virginia feel the need to add yet another layer of bureaucracy to an already cumbersome system that generally hassles only honest citizens? And another thing, if the instant background check is stopping huge numbers of prohibited people from buying guns, why aren't these people being prosecuted? Each attempt to buy a gun by a prohibited person is a federal felony. They should be prosecuted and jailed!