NORFOLK, Va. — A bill that would make it a misdemeanor to leave a handgun visible in a car parked on a public street has passed the Virginia General Assembly and is now heading to Gov. Abigail Spanberger's desk.
Law enforcement across Virginia has long said guns being stolen out of cars is a major problem. Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate has said a gun is stolen in about 10% of cars broken into in the city.
Under the bill, gun owners would be required to store their firearm in a locked glove box, locked center console, or another lockable storage device attached to the vehicle. The bill does not apply to someone who reports to police that their gun was stolen.
Lori Haas, an advocate whose daughter was shot but survived during the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, supports the bill.
"It's a crime of opportunity for our teens when they walk by and see a firearm," Haas said.
"[Police are] finding too many crime guns that are stolen or lifted," Haas said.
This is an issue News 3 has reported on for years. In 2024, researchers from Everytown for Gun Safety, a pro-gun control organization, found Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton were among the cities with the most guns stolen out of cars in the entire country.
"It's hugely irresponsible to leave guns in cars. It's terribly irresponsible," Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi said.
Opponents of the bill have argued the legislation punishes crime victims. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed earlier versions of the bill, saying it victimizes the people whose guns are being stolen.
"This is a bill that criminalizes the victim of a crime," said State Sen. Glenn Sturtevant (R-Chesterfield County).
An earlier version of the bill would have exempted state lawmakers when parking around the Capitol, drawing criticism.
"This is a rules for thee but not for me piece of legislation," said Sturtevant.
That exemption was removed from the final version of the bill. With Democrats in control of the General Assembly, the bill passed and now heads to Spanberger's desk.
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