Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday he had vetoed 30 pieces of gun-related legislation, including measures that would have halted the sale of certain semi-automatic firearms. Youngkin’s vetoes, which drew criticism from Democrats, were not surprising. The governor had been vague enough on the issue that he had left gun-rights groups with a degree of uncertainty about how he would act on the dozens of bills the Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent him this year, the Associated Press reports. Youngkin is proposing amendments to six gun bills and signing two pairs of identical bills that passed with broad bipartisan support. One would ban auto sears, which convert semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons, and the other is intended to help keep guns out of the hands of juveniles who pose a risk to others.
Among the measures Youngkin vetoed was a bill sponsored by Sen. Suhas Subramanyam that would have implemented a five-day waiting period for gun purchases. Another vetoed bill would have prohibited the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase or transfer of an “assault firearm” made on or after July 1 of this year. Possession of such a weapon would be banned for those under 21, and the measure would also prohibit the sale of certain ammunition-feeding devices that can hold over 10 rounds. Other vetoed bills include measures that would have prohibited the open carrying of certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns in certain public areas; established so-called safe storage requirements for guns in homes with minors or people not legally allowed to possess firearms; and created a civil penalty for people who leave a handgun visible in an unattended vehicle. One piece of legislation Youngkin signed would allow for parents to be charged with a felony under the state’s child abuse and neglect law if they allow a child to have access to a firearm after being notified the child poses a threat of violence.
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