STATEMENT: Giffords Condemns Virginia Legislature For Ignoring the Will of Virginians By Failing to Pass a Single Gun Violence Prevention Bill This Year
March 29, 2018 — Today, Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, condemned the Virginia General Assembly for ignoring the will of Virginians by failing to pass a single gun violence prevention bill this year.
After voters overwhelmingly showed support for the passage of gun safety legislation last November, this year’s legislative session ended with both the House and Senate failing to pass a single bill to address gun violence. Several bills to close loopholes for background checks, keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, ban bump stocks, and allow local authorities to prohibit firearms at public events that require a permit were voted down by Virginia Republicans.
“The Republican majority in the Virginia legislature continued to do the gun lobby’s bidding instead of listening to voters who called for public safety,” said Nico Bocour, Giffords State Legislative Director. “Lawmakers in Richmond have failed Virginia by refusing to take action to address the gun violence crisis. We look forward to continuing to work with Governor Northam and the gun safety champions in the legislature who are fighting to protect Virginia families and communities.”
“Voters in Virginia sent a clear message in November that they wanted their state leaders to address gun violence. Unfortunately their cries for action were met with the sounds of silence as the Republican-controlled legislature blocked the passage of all gun safety bills,” said Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, a member of the Giffords Virginia Coalition. “The legislature has failed their fundamental responsibility to do more to keep communities safe, even as Governor Northam proposed an aggressive platform to address gun violence. I hope the legislature realizes its mistakes in failing to act on any of these worthy proposals, and is ready to come back to the table to pass legislation that will reduce gun violence.”
Some of the Legislation Blocked by the Republican-Controlled Legislature:
- Universal background checks: Close all loopholes that lead to unregulated sales of firearms to individuals.
- Prohibiting firearms at permitted events: Allow localities overseeing permitted events to prohibit firearms.
- Banning bump stocks: Criminalize the manufacture, sale, and possession of bump stocks.
- One handgun a month: Limiting handgun purchases to one per month to help prevent gun trafficking by preventing purchasers from buying large numbers of handguns to resell.
- Keeping guns out of domestic abusers hands: Would prohibit any person served with a final protective order based on violence or threats toward a person, regardless of their relationship, from owning a gun.
Background on Virginia’s Support for Gun Safety
A public opinion survey after the Virginia elections last November found that voters across the state gave the winning edge to candidates who led on a platform of gun safety and made clear they would stand up to the gun lobby. The research details that gun violence was a key factor for voters as they made their final decision. In Virginia, 80% of respondents to the poll said that the issue of guns was very or somewhat important to them when deciding who to vote for.
Related Resources
- Release: Giffords Denounces House of Delegates Committee for Voting Down Legislation to Strengthen Gun Safety [January 25, 2018]
- Release: Giffords Condemns Virginia Senate Committee on Courts and Justice for Voting Down Legislation to Strengthen Public Safety [January 15, 2018]
- Release: Giffords Gets Results, Virginia Voters Backed Candidates Who Led on Gun Safety and Stood Up to Gun Lobby [November 13, 2017]
- Release: Gabby Giffords Congratulates Ralph Northam, Gun Safety Champion Victories in Virginia [November 7, 2017]
- Election Recap Memo: The morning after election day, Giffords released a full review of why voters responded to gun safety and how the organization impacted the debate. Read the full review.
If you are interested in speaking with a member of the coalition or any other expert at Giffords please contact media@giffords.org
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Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.