The issue of gun control will be on the minds of state officials today, as lobbyists prepare to deliver their message to lawmakers.
Virginia’s General Assembly will consider more than 60 gun-related bills this session. One, favored by some Republicans, would require every school board to designate a staff member or volunteer to carry a concealed handgun on school property. Another would make it illegal for public agencies to assist the federal government in completing a criminal background check in connection with the sale of a gun.
Many Democrats, on the other hand, favor a measure that would require background checks for gun sales, and a bill sponsored by Delegate Marcus Simon, to bar people from carrying a weapon for five years if they’re convicted of domestic violence.
“Someone who’s demonstrated by their behavior that they have a problem with their temper – a problem with violence – that’s not the kind of person that we think ought to be carrying a dangerous weapon.”
Those who care passionately about gun control will be in Richmond today to lobby lawmakers. Opponents of new restrictions will rally at 11 a.m. while supporters will hold a vigil for victims of gun violence at 2 p.m.
