Several legislators sought to specifically prohibit semi-automatic centerfire pistols, which include many models popular with the shooting public. Gun rights opponents targeted those with a detachable magazine and a threaded barrel.
But Youngkin thwarted the plan with his veto pen. In a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the first-term governor explained his sound reasoning.
“The Constitution precludes the Commonwealth from prohibiting a broad category of firearms widely embraced for lawful purposes, such as self-defense. Despite this, certain members of the General Assembly have pursued legislation banning most contemporary semi-automatic firearms and specific ammunition-feeding devices.”
Also targeted were rifles such as AR-15s and high-capacity magazines manufactured after July 1.
Youngkin further vetoed HB 916, which intended to mandate state police to implement a tracking and reporting protocol for red flag laws already in place. Falling to the veto pen was another bill to enact a five-day waiting period on gun purchases.
The governor explained that such a law “would impede individuals facing threats of violence from promptly acquiring a firearm for self-defense.”
A push to ban weapons on college campuses and in university buildings was also swept aside. Youngkin noted that the state’s college administrators already possess the authority to carry out this action.
The National Rifle Association’s legal arm lauded the Virginia governor’s “refusal to bow to unconstitutional overreach.” The group’s Randy Kozuch said the round of vetoes demonstrated a “fierce commitment to safeguarding our fundamental rights.”
Youngkin exercised his veto power on a total of 30 anti-gun bills that were passed through the state legislature. A recent shift in the state’s political power structure gave hope to gun rights opponents, but that was short-lived.
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