CHESAPEAKE, Va. - House Republicans rejected a number of bills backed by Democratic lawmakers during a sub-committee hearing Thursday.
Del. Cliff Hayes (D-Chesapeake) had proposed a bill requiring a three day waiting period after someone purchases a gun in response to November's mass shooting at a Walmart.
Police have said the shooter purchased the gun used the same day as the shooting. "Please let us know if we can do anything for these families," Hayes implored to lawmakers.
Hayes has said he proposed the bill following conversations with the families of the victims and talked with News 3 about the proposal earlier in the month.
"The waiting period thing is something I believe could've affected the outcome here," Hayes said.
With opposition from Republicans, who have the majority on the sub-committee, the bill was defeated for the year.
"It's more than just a three day waiting period. It's a terrible inconvenience for law abiding people," one speaker said.
Another proposal from Del. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk) would've required people take a safety class before completing a gun purchase.
"The point of this bill is to make sure people who are purchasing a gun actually know what they're doing when they purchase that weapon," Graves said.
That also failed to advance. "This would be totally unconstitutional. There's nothing in the history of the United States that says you have to have any kind of training to buy a firearm," said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
Republicans in the sub-committee did advance some of their own legislation, including a bill to repeal a law passed in 2020 that lets local governments restrict guns in certain public areas.
"The constitutional rights that we are seeking to defend here do not lapse as we travel from a locality to another," said Del. Dave LaRock (R-Loudon).
With Democrats and Republicans sharing power in the General Assembly, it appears a lot of gun legislation will not be advancing this year, but it's not stopping the ideas from coming forward.
