Monday, February 17, 2020 – A major political defeat today for Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.  State Senators voted to shelve a gun control bill Northam had been pushing.  The measure was seen as a major overhaul of Virginia’s gun laws.  But the Senate judiciary committee voted to table the bill until next year and called on the state crime commission to study the issue.

Four moderate Democrats joined Republican lawmakers Monday voting to reject the bill.  Under the measure, certain semi-automatic weapons would be banned, including the popular AR-15 style rifles and the possession of magazines that hold more than 12-rounds.  Some 8 million AR-style guns have been sold since they were introduced to the public nearly 40 years ago.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have been able to push through several other gun control measures, including universal background checks, limiting gun purchases to once a month, and allowing local communities to ban guns in public buildings.