In Democrat-led session, gun safety advocates ask why Virginia Dems won't get more on gun safety

As Virginia’s 2024 legislative session ends, the fate of dozens of Democrat-backed gun safety bills is unsettled.

For the first time since 2021, Democrats control both houses of the Virginia Legislature. As the session started, Democrat leaders promised a big push on gun safety.

As the session went on, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights advocate group warned its members, “It is absolutely an all-out war (on lawful gun owners).”

But as the session ends and attention turns to what Gov. Glenn Youngkin will sign, gun safety advocates still want to know what will become law.

Gun safety bills sailed through the General Assembly. 

A bill to ban Glock switches, also known as auto sears, is one of them.

It's a small device that turns a common handgun into an incredibly dangerous and lethal machine gun. They're already federally banned. Former Loudoun County prosecutor, now Democrat State Senator Russet Perry, led the charge in the Senate to outlaw them in Virginia.

“It can be one of those things that gives states an extra tool to combat, you know, dangerous gun violence that most people can get behind and agree on," she said.

It passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support. In the Virginia House of Delegates, a nearly identical Glock switch ban Del. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, sponsored has unanimous support. In initial votes, it did not get a single no vote even from a Republican.

“I'm proud of my Republican colleagues,” Jones said. “Everyone always talks about working across the aisle. This is one of those issues. Safe streets matter to everyone. It's not a blue or red issue."

The News4 I-Team found even gun rights supporters support it — sort of.

“I'm not going to lose any sleep if they signed that into law, because it won't affect a law-abiding citizen,” firearms trainer Curt Sebastian said. “It's not going to affect me."

The Glock switch ban is now on the way to the governor's desk for his signature and is expected to get it, but that may be where the agreement on this issue ends in Richmond and the politics of it take over. Gun safety advocates told the I-Team just signing something on gun safety isn't what they were hoping for this session.

“I am sure (Youngkin), and his team will evaluate them and then he'll cherry pick which ones he might want to sign,” said Lori Haas, an advocacy manager for the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Political observers expect the governor to sign the Glock switch bill along with a tax credit for gun locks, which expands an existing price break on simple safety devices to lock guns up.

Youngkin could also support a modified safe storage law, which would make it a misdemeanor to leave a gun where kids could get it and possibly bring to school or use in a crime. It would only be a felony if the person knew the child was a threat.

But Haas says, “It's not enough. It's just not enough.”

For Haas, this is a personal issue. Her daughter Emily survived the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, 2007. Thirty-two students died in that mass shooting.

“On average, three people will die today from firearms. What about those families?” Haas asked. “What is the governor doing to care for them? What is the governor doing to prevent that violence?”

Haas hopes the governor would sign a more robust safe storage bill which is also passing through the House and Senate and consider the assault-weapons ban that Democrats pushed through. 

She’s not optimistic about that.

“He's going to veto the bill, and you know, that bill is something the general public wants over and over and over again,” Haas said. 

The expanded safe storage law is a non-starter to Sebastian, who trains law enforcement and civilians and advocates for training for all gun owners.

“Frankly, I like the idea of my 12-year-old being able to defend herself even if I wasn't with her," he said.

The assault weapons ban would be even worse for Virginia, Sebastian says. He predicts political doom for the governor should he sign it.

“I think, obviously, it would decimate him," he said.

Jones knows the governor may not sign the assault weapons bill, “but he's going to have to tell the Virginia delegation, he's going to have to tell everyday Virginians, he's going to have to tell moms, dads that we don't care about these streets, these guns being on the street.”

The governor has until Friday to sign or veto the few gun bills already on his desk. He will have 30 days to act on dozens more once the session ends.

“Virginia’s gun laws are already among the toughest in the nation, and Gov. Youngkin continues to pursue policies to hold criminals that commit crimes with guns accountable by strengthening penalties to effectively keep criminals off the streets and Virginians safe," a Youngkin spokesperson said.

Reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Jeff Piper.