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| Gun rights bill that is part of GOP- McAuliffe deal clears Va. Senate | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate on Thursday approved the first piece of a gun deal hashed out between Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and the GOP, a measure that greatly expands the right to carry concealed weapons. | RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate on Thursday approved the first piece of a gun deal hashed out between Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and the GOP, a measure that greatly expands the right to carry concealed weapons. |
| The vote came without debate but with 13 Democrats registering disapproval of the agreement that was reached without input from gun-control advocates. | The vote came without debate but with 13 Democrats registering disapproval of the agreement that was reached without input from gun-control advocates. |
| “This legislation is not a Republican versus Democrat right, but simply doing the right thing by law-abiding Virginians,” said Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), who sponsored the bill and led negotiations with the administration. | “This legislation is not a Republican versus Democrat right, but simply doing the right thing by law-abiding Virginians,” said Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), who sponsored the bill and led negotiations with the administration. |
| The 27-13 vote comes as gun-control activists continue to press McAuliffe to walk away from the agreement, which would reverse action taken by Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) in December to sever reciprocity rights of gun owners in 25 states with concealed-weapons standards looser than Virginia’s. | The 27-13 vote comes as gun-control activists continue to press McAuliffe to walk away from the agreement, which would reverse action taken by Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) in December to sever reciprocity rights of gun owners in 25 states with concealed-weapons standards looser than Virginia’s. |
| [Gun-control advocates decry McAuliffe’s “gift to the gun lobby” ] | [Gun-control advocates decry McAuliffe’s “gift to the gun lobby” ] |
| The bill directs the attorney general to reach reciprocity agreements with any state that offers them. It represents a substantial expansion of conceal-carry rights for out-of-state gun owners traveling to Virginia and Virginians who travel out of state. Current law allows for reciprocity only with states with standards on par with Virginia's. | The bill directs the attorney general to reach reciprocity agreements with any state that offers them. It represents a substantial expansion of conceal-carry rights for out-of-state gun owners traveling to Virginia and Virginians who travel out of state. Current law allows for reciprocity only with states with standards on par with Virginia's. |
| The deal also calls for some measures to tighten gun restrictions. Those will come before the General Assembly in the form of separate bills. | The deal also calls for some measures to tighten gun restrictions. Those will come before the General Assembly in the form of separate bills. |
| [Five things that (kind of) explain Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s gun deal with the GOP and NRA] | [Five things that (kind of) explain Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s gun deal with the GOP and NRA] |
| One of those bills would make it a felony under Virginia law for someone subject to a two-year protective order to possess a gun. Possession for such a person is already illegal under federal law. But because local police, not federal agents, respond to domestic incidents, abusers could be more likely to face charges. And because possession in such cases would be a felony, anyone convicted would lose the right to possess a firearm for life, barring subsequent restoration of civil rights through the governor. | One of those bills would make it a felony under Virginia law for someone subject to a two-year protective order to possess a gun. Possession for such a person is already illegal under federal law. But because local police, not federal agents, respond to domestic incidents, abusers could be more likely to face charges. And because possession in such cases would be a felony, anyone convicted would lose the right to possess a firearm for life, barring subsequent restoration of civil rights through the governor. |
| Another bill that is part of the deal calls for putting a state trooper at every gun show to run background checks for private sellers who currently have no way to check buyers’ criminal histories. But those checks would remain optional. | Another bill that is part of the deal calls for putting a state trooper at every gun show to run background checks for private sellers who currently have no way to check buyers’ criminal histories. But those checks would remain optional. |