Virginia Tops Nation in New Pro-Gun Laws
By Michael N. Graff
The Winchester Star
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Though none were earth-moving adjustments, Virginia passed more pro-gun laws than any other state this spring a statistic local lawmakers say verifies the commonwealths commitment to protecting the rights of its law-abiding gun owners.
Legislators approved 15 pro-gun laws, spurring shouts of praise from the National Rifle Association.
This year was definitely a very good year for the Second Amendment in Virginia, said NRA spokesperson Kelly Hobbs, noting the 15 new laws.
The movement away from tightening gun-control laws is a reflection of the states stance on firearms, according to the area legislators.
Im pretty cut and dry on this, said Del. Beverly J. Sherwood, R-Frederick County. Thats an example of preserving the rights of law-abiding citizens. Were going to continue to do that. The members of the General Assembly will be putting bills in to make sure were not injuring those law-abiding citizens.
Added Del. Clifford L. Clay Athey Jr., R-Front Royal: We hold very important that people have a right to keep and bear arms. Virginia sort of leads to protecting that right.
Among the laws, which Democratic Gov. Mark R. Warner signed, the General Assembly approved a bill that excludes valid concealed-carry owners people who have been approved by a court to carry a concealed firearm from the one-handgun-per-month limitation.
The law also allows gun collectors to purchase more than one gun per month through private sales to improve their collections.
What we were trying to do with the one-handgun-per-month law was prevent people that were buying huge amounts of them and reselling them to people, Athey said. But these are people, theyve been vetted through our court process and found to be law-abiding citizens.
Athey sponsored one of the new laws dealing with reciprocity. It increases the number of states with which Virginias concealed-carry laws comply.
Now, concealed-carry owners in several other states including West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida will have their permits recognized in Virginia and vice-versa.
The law also grants the Virginia State Police office in Richmond the right to issue temporary concealed-carry permits to people who have court-authorized permits in other states that have reached reciprocity with Virginia.
If people travel in the Southeast, they should now be able to carry concealed weapons, Athey said.
Added Del. Joe T. May, R-Leesburg: If Im checking your background in Pennsylvania, then Im sure its the same record in Virginia.
The reciprocity law does not cross over into Maryland, Athey said.