Governor Youngkin vetoes 30 more bills, all related to firearms

The reality of a divided government in Virginia presented itself again yesterday as Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin dismissed 30 bills while signing another 31 into law. 

“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 is quoted in a press release sent out Wednesday. 

“I am pleased to sign four public safety bills which are common sense 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,” Youngkin continued

The public safety bills Youngkin signed into law include HB36 and SB44 which will make it a Class 5 for someone who knowingly or neglectfully allows a child under the age of 5 to come into possession of a firearm. This passed the House of Delegates on a 55 to 43 vote and the Senate on a unanimous vote. 

Another pair of identical bills signed is HB22 and S210 which would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or possession of an “auto sear” which can be used to convert some firearms into weapons with automatic fire capability. That passed the House on a 89 to 2 vote and the Senate on a 27 to 13 vote. 

Youngkin is suggesting amendments to the following: 

• HB861 and SB515 would have made it a Class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly take a firearm or other weapon into a hospital or other facility. The legislative information system doesn’t appear to have the full text of the recommendation at publication time, but the press release states that “the Governor’s recommendation focuses on criminals who transfer firearms to a person receiving mental health treatment at a hospital.”
• SB363 would have made it a Class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly possess a firearm without a serial number and a Class 6 felony to knowingly sell firearms without a serial number of an altered one. The text of the amendment is not available but the release states “the amendment aligns the bill with federal law and federal definitions for serial numbers. 
• HB173 and SB100 would make it a Class 5 felony to possess or manufacture plastic firearms that would not be detectable by security screenings. From the statement: · “The amendment establishes a knowledge standard for manufacturing, importing, selling, transferring or possessing any plastic firearm and introduces mandatory minimum sentences for the subsequent use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.”
• SB225 would require School Boards to develop policies to inform parents and guardians of their legal responsibility to store firearms safely. We’ve seen this before with HB498. “The amendment directs the Department of Education to convene a workgroup to create a comprehensive list of the parental rights and responsibilities and develop an efficient method for distributing such list to parents. The Governor previously offered the same recommendation for HB 498.”

Now onto the vetoes. This is not a complete list but the full list of veto statements is available here.

Both HB2 and SB2 would have banned assault firearms as well as certain types of ammunition. 

“Virginia has some of the strictest gun laws in the country,” Youngkin wrote. “Unfortunately, the Commonwealth has reduced penalties for criminals, contributing to violent crime. Enhancing penalties for crimes committed with firearms will reverse this trend.”

HB454 and SB383 would have banned firearms or explosive materials in Capitol Square or any other building leased by the Commonwealth of Virginia. This legislation specifically address higher education institutions. 

“While I am committed to ensuring well-secured and safe college campuses in Virginia, this legislation does not adequately consider the numerous variations in Virginia’s diverse geographic, cultural, and societal norms across different regions of the Commonwealth,” Youngkin wrote. “The Boards of Visitors at Virginia’s institutions of higher education already have the authority to regulate their respective campuses, including implementing firearms prohibitions.” 

Other vetoed public safety bills:

• HB585 would have prohibited home-based firearms dealers from operating new schools
• HB797 would have altered rules for regulating permits for concealed handguns to eliminate references to the National Rifle Association or the United States Concealed Carry Association as groups that could provide necessary training. Youngkin wrote this would put too much burden on the Department of Criminal Justice Services to provide the courses. 
• HB1462 would have made it a civil penalty to leave a firearm in a vehicle unattended. Youngkin stated “the culpability is on the criminal who stole the firearm.”

Other bills that did not relate to public safety were also signed into law. Here’s some of what jumped out at me. 

• HB74  and SB644 would clarify that funding for secondary roads designated for paving unpaved roads can be used for other related purposes
• HB522 would direct the directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to write up regulations related to the use of online advertising by to promote sales
• HB282 would create a penalty for motor vehicle infractions in highway work zone with a minimum punishment for a first offense set at $300
• HB1498 changes the term “adult day care center” to “adult day center” 

Stay tuned for more information including HB805 and SB14 which would authorize all localities to hold a referendum for a sales tax increase that would fund school construction. Will Youngkin sign the bill after his proposal to bring a sports arena failed?

Today, the City of Alexandria announced they’ve suspended negotiations with Monumental Sports. Youngkin sent out this release shortly as that information was known:

“Virginians deserve better. A one-of-a-kind project bringing world-class athletes and entertainment, creating 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity just went up in smoke. This transformational project would have driven investment to every corner of the Commonwealth. This should have been our deal and our opportunity, all the General Assembly had to do was say: ‘thank you, Monumental, for wanting to come to Virginia and create $12 billion of economic investment, let’s work it out.’ But no, personal and political agendas drove away a deal with no upfront general fund money and no tax increases, that created tens of thousands of new jobs and billions in revenue for Virginia. I’d like to thank Ted Leonsis and the Monumental team, the City of Alexandria, JBG Smith and countless other partners for their professionalism, belief in Virginia and fortitude. Congratulations to Monumental for striking a great deal, I’m sorry you won’t be in Virginia,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Will this affect the weight of his pen before the April 8 deadline to act on the sales tax legislation?

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