The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Virginia colleges' authority to ban guns on campus appears safe for another year, but a state law that limits handgun purchases to one a month might be on its last legs.
Measures to nix that rule, change criminal background checks for certain gun purchases, and override campus gun restrictions were among those before the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on Wednesday.
Previously a killing field for gun rights bills, the panel now run by Republicans was more receptive, including the effort to repeal limitations on some gun buyers.
Republican lawmakers voted 8-6 to advance a bill that would end the handgun law approved in 1993. It remains a sore spot for gun rights advocates.
Opponents of repealing the law included relatives of victims of the April 2007 shooting massacre at Virginia Tech.
"This was put in place to stem gun trafficking," said Andrew Goddard, whose son Colin is Tech survivor.
Gov. Bob McDonnell has said he would sign repeal legislation. His position on that issue has shifted over time - he initially supported the handgun law.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Charles "Bill" Carrico Sr., R-Grayson County, asked lawmakers to carry over another bill to prohibit colleges and other government entities from restricting gun possession without state authorization. Several Virginia schools, Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech among them, have rules that essentially limit on-campus gun possession to legal authorities.
McDonnell recently said he isn't inclined to sign a bill to keep colleges from banning concealed firearms on campus.
On a party-line vote, the committee approved legislation to codify the so-called Castle doctrine that would give civil immunity to those who use deadly force to defend their homes from intruders.
The committee also carried over a bill from Sen. Dick Black, R-Loudoun County, to run rifle and shotgun buyers through a federal background check rather than Virginia's screening system.
However, State Police officials say some of Virginia's gun-purchasing prohibitions are more stringent than federal barriers.
And there isn't a federal prohibition comparable to Virginia's now threatened one-handgun-a-month law.
Roanoke Times writer Michael Sluss contributed to this report.
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Guns
I bet the little old Virginia State Police BOYS are doing some heavy CRYING now.... When they start to CRY too bad I might change their Dirty Diaper.
Thank goodness
Well yippie; finally something is going to be done. How can one reasonably expect to make it on only 12 guns per year? I mean, there are crimes to commit in NY and other places, and a paltry 12 guns per person per year will not make a dent in the ongoing criminality resulting from the use of guns originating from Virginia. Support gun makers, unlicensed gun shows and hard-working criminals! Support unrestricted access to as many guns of as much firepower as can be mustered.
good economics
If the NY street gangs cant easily buy guns in VA, then they will buy them from other states or countries. Could be bad for our local economy.
good economics
If the NY street gangs cant easily buy guns in VA, then they will buy them from other states or countries. Could be bad for our local economy.
Reading these comments makes
Reading these comments makes me want to advocate a limit and waiting period on the First Amendment rights. Something reasonable, such as only one online comment a month of less than 200 characters, after a background check and fee has been paid. If you keep any concealed speech (such as a diary or book) then you must have a permit or face jail time. Liberals should applaud such a constitutional limited idea that is rational, responsible, and smart.
well, at least you don't
well, at least you don't have sense of scale to weigh you down
Read..
..2 wonderful stories in the last 2 days. Yesterday was 65 year old granny held a carjacker at gunpoint until police arrived. Today was a 67 year old man was knocked off his bike,assaulted and was in the process of being robbed when he pulled out his concealed handgun and shot 2 of the punks. Hoooray for the 2nd ammendment!!!
Callahsr - Great stories.
Of course there are far more stories of tragic and senseless deaths from handguns than the occasional happy endings that you cite. And it is a fact that people who live in a home with a gun are 1.9x as likely to be murdered and 5.6x times as likely to die from suicide compared with people who live in homes where there are no guns.
So, let's not pretend that guns are always the bringers of joy. Our tolerance of them and the good they sometimes do comes at a very high price - 30,000+ deaths per year - the same order of magnitude as vehicles, which arguably, offer more benefits.
Sourdes?
I'd love to see trusted sources (disinterested third parties without a dog in the fight) for your "statistics."
That is true
Don't forget that our neighbor to the north, Canada, has more guns per capita than in the U.S., yet violent acts involving guns are almost unheard of in that country.
For every example of someone defending themselves successfully with a gun, there are many more examples of needless deaths by guns simply because they were around; either domestic disputes that go too far or burglars taking guns found in the homes they break into, sometimes using them on the owner, more often using them somewhere else to commit crimes.
But whackos like NRA big mouth Wayne LaPierre will not rest until every infant is issued an Uzi at birth, and he has quite a number of people of limited intellect that praise his extremism.