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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In an expected move, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has vetoed more than two dozen gun-related bills, saying they would have violated Virginians’ constitutional rights.
Youngkin said in a statement that he “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.”
However, Democrats are criticizing Youngkin for vetoing these bills — including one that would have banned the sale of new assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
“It seems like the gun lobby won the day over what people in our community want,” Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Loudon) said. “If we make it easy for people to obtain assault weapons and carry them in public, we are really jeopardizing the safety of our community.”
Another bill vetoed by Youngkin would have instituted a five-day waiting period before someone could purchase a gun.
“This [waiting period] is important because I see suicides happen because someone can buy a gun and then shoot themselves on the same day, or they can perpetrate a crime within the same day or two,” Subramanyam said.
Youngkin said the bill would “impede individuals facing threats of violence from promptly acquiring a firearm for self-defense.”
Youngkin did sign two gun-related bills into law, including one that bans auto sears — a device that can convert firearms into automatic weapons.
The other gun-related bill Youngkin signed, “Lucia’s Law,” gets its namesake from a 13-year-old Henrico teenager who was shot and killed by a 14-year-old boy in 2022. Once the law goes into effect, it will be a class 5 felony for a parent or guardian to allow an at-risk minor to access a firearm.
