Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Multiple gun bills continue to advance at the General Assembly.
The state senate on Wednesday passed a bill to ban the purchase, possession, transfer and sale of assault firearms made on or after July 1 of this year. A similar bill has already passed in the House.
The House bill would also make possession of an assault weapon a Class 1 misdemeanor, which comes with a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.
Both bills are headed to the other chamber for a vote. Governor Youngkin has been quiet on veto plans.
Phillip Van Cleave, president of the gun-rights advocacy group Virginia Citizens Defense League, told our partners at 8News that he believes lawful gun owners like himself will be unfairly impacted by the legislation.
“[Banning assault weapons is] not going to stop crime,” said Van Cleave. “That’s like taking all the sober drivers off the road and expecting drunk drivers to suddenly stop driving drunk. It doesn’t work that way.”
Others, including Andrew Goddard, Legislative Director of the Virginia Center for Public Safety, say otherwise.
“We shouldn’t live in a society that lives in fear of going to the supermarket, or going to the theater, or going any place and being mowed down by someone with a military-style gun,” said Goddard.
