Gov. Abigail Spanberger — alongside Virginia law enforcement officers, students, doctors and nurses, and families impacted by gun violence — yesterday signed a package of commonsense legislation to prevent gun violence, save lives, and make the Commonwealth a safer home for all Virginians.
At the signing, Spanberger joined Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, bill patrons, and Virginians from across the Commonwealth to listen to the stories of families who have lost loved ones to gun violence — and thank them for their years of work to keep kids, law enforcement, and communities safe. Together with these families, the Governor signed legislation to prevent gun violence, including bills to close the “Boyfriend Loophole” and expand “Red Flag” laws.
The Governor also signed bills to support Virginia law enforcement by cracking down on untraceable ghost guns to make sure officers have the ability to track weapons used in crimes. Additionally, Spanberger signed legislation to protect kids, teens, and families by requiring the safe storage of firearms — a commonsense measure that research shows lowers the risk of self inflicted firearm injuries by 78 percent and of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens by 85 percent.
“Thank you to the Virginia parents, students, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement officers who shared their stories today — they told a hard truth about what gun violence can look like up close. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America,” she said. “I come from a law enforcement family, and I myself was a federal law enforcement officer. Every day as a federal agent, I carried a firearm as part of my job. I know the tremendous responsibility that comes with gun ownership.
“Today, we are signing legislation on straightforward, commonsense issues that will keep our families, communities, and law enforcement safe,” Spanberger said. “Measures supported by the overwhelming majority of Virginians across the political spectrum. Democrats, Republicans, independents, and everyone in-between. But, in the past, when the General Assembly passed commonsense gun safety measures like these — oftentimes with bipartisan support — the answer from the Governor’s office was a veto.
“Whether you are a first responder or a survivor seeking justice, a parent who has practiced what to say if your child’s school faces the unthinkable, or an officer who has stood at a crime scene and wondered why this keeps happening — the Commonwealth of Virginia hears your voices and your advocacy. Today, we are answering your call,” the governor said.
Strong, bipartisan majorities support strengthening legislation to keep kids, law enforcement, and communities safe from gun violence. Surveys consistently show that more than 80 percent of Americans, including Democrats, Republicans, and independents, support commonsense gun safety proposals.
Additionally, studies also continue to show that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are disproportionately used in mass shootings and the killings of law enforcement officers. In the ten years that these weapons were restricted on the federal level, mass-shooting fatalities were 70 percent less likely to occur. According to recent polling from Roanoke College, nearly 60 percent of Virginians support restricting the future sale of assault weapons.
