Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed 30 firearms and gun control-related bills that would have penalized law-abiding gun owners in the state and affect their rights under the Second Amendment.
According to the official website of the Government of Virginia, these bills covered issues including restrictions on possession in certain locations, requirements for concealed handgun permits, waiting periods for firearm purchases and penalties for transferring and possessing certain firearms. (Related: Michigan Senate passes 11 RED FLAG “gun safety” bills to restrict Second Amendment rights of state residents.)
Youngkin argued that these bills would "punish" law-abiding citizens and impinge on their Second Amendment rights. Thus, he vetoed the bills to protect those rights and oppose unconstitutional measures for law-abiding citizens.
Instead of restricting the rights of gun owners, Youngkin said the Democrat-controlled General Assembly should invest in behavioral health measures to address violent crimes. He acknowledged the potential unintended consequences of some measures but reassured the public of the effectiveness of existing laws and systems in addressing firearm-related issues in Virginia.
"I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of Virginia, and that absolutely includes protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms," Youngkin said.
Youngkin signs four public safety bills
The governor has faced sharp criticism from Democrats, including Sen Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville), who sponsored one of the gun control bills Youngkin vetoed.
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"Shameful and unthinking action!" Deeds tweeted on X.
However, the governor did not oppose all gun-related legislation. Youngkin proposed amendments to six other gun-related bills, including provisions related to firearm transfers to mental health patients, setting standards for plastic firearms and mandating parental notification on safe firearm storage.
He also signed 31 bills into law, including four bipartisan measures that protect community safety. These include House Bill 36 and Senate Bill 44, which prevent parents from allowing children who pose credible threats of violence to their communities from accessing firearms; as well as HB 22 and SB 210, which prohibit the manufacture, transfer or possession of auto sears and other devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into automatic weapons.
"I am pleased to sign four public safety bills which are commonsense reforms with significant bipartisan support from the General Assembly, and offer recommendations to several bills which, if adopted, will make it harder for criminals to use guns in the commission of a violent act," he said.
Aside from the four bipartisan measures, Youngkin also signed 27 other bills covering topics such as slot-retention requests for developmental disability waiver slots, campus safety in higher educational institutions, farmland preservation, amendments to city charters, public education measures, liability immunity for dental professionals and changes to alcoholic beverage control regulations.
Meanwhile, other bills address issues including jury service, highway improvements, criminal injury compensation, coastal resilience policy, campaign finance, early childhood care and education, drug treatment courts, airport commission charters, child pornography penalties, crash reports and electronic meetings under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Learn more about gun laws in the United States at Guns.news.
Watch this clip from "2A For Today" on The New American as host Zoe Warren discusses the Michigan Democratic Party's latest attempt to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Michiganders.
This video is from the channel The New American on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Maryland's Dem state rep pushes bill to require embedded trackers in guns.
RIGGED: Gun Violence Archive designates non-violent incidents as "gun violence."
Sources include:
Governor.Virginia.gov 2 (PDF)
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