We should also act this session to reassure the families we serve that we are doing everything we can to keep them safe.
We can no longer stand by as our fellow Virginians are lost to preventable and senseless acts of gun violence.
As a gun owner myself, I fully believe that law-abiding citizens have a right to responsibly own and carry firearms.
But as we have learned from far too many tragedies here and across the country . . .
there is a difference between responsible gun owners and those who violate the law or are likely to use firearms in a manner that endangers lives.
I have proposed several common sense bills aimed at keeping Virginians safe from gun violence without infringing on the rights of responsible, law abiding citizens.
If we work together to pass them, these proposals will keep guns out of dangerous hands by closing the gun show loophole;
preventing violent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining fire arms;
revoking concealed carry permits from those who do not meet their legal obligation to pay child support; and
curtailing gun trafficking by restoring the one handgun a month law.
Even one Virginian’s precious life is too high a price to pay for our inability to reach a reasonable compromise on gun safety.