Youngkin vetoes waiting period for firearms purchase, signs two gun safety bills

Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a slew of gun safety measures Tuesday, including one bill that would have banned the sale of assault firearms and another that would have enacted a five-day waiting period on gun purchases.

“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of Virginia, and that absolutely includes protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms,” Youngkin said in a news release.

Altogether, the Republican governor took action Tuesday on 67 pieces of legislation, vetoing 30 bills, signing 31 and suggesting amendments to six others.

In a statement, Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke slammed the governor’s vetos.

“He blatantly disregards the safety and well-being of our communities by opposing common sense gun safety measures,” said Locke, D-Hampton. “This action isn’t just a political statement; it’s a dangerous refusal to acknowledge the critical need for reforms that protect us all.”

Youngkin vetoed the bill from Del. Cliff Hayes, D-Chesapeake, that was intended to prevent impulsive violence or suicide by creating a five-day waiting period on gun purchases.

In his veto statement, Youngkin said the bill was unnecessary because Virginia had background checks.

“Virginia’s existing background check ensures that individuals prohibited by State or Federal law cannot legally access firearms,” he wrote. “The Virginia State Police use federal and state records and databases, including the Central Criminal Records Exchange.”

Hayes previously said he carried the measure on behalf of victims’ families from the 2022 mass shooting at a Chesapeake Walmart, noting the gunman purchased the firearm the same day as his attack on coworkers inside the store.

Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Charlottesville Democrat who carried the bill to prohibit the selling or purchasing of assault firearms, called the veto of his bill “shameful” on social media. Four Democrats from Hampton Roads co-sponsored the bill, including Locke and Sens. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach and Angelia Williams Graves of Norfolk.

The governor also rejected a safe storage bill from Sen. Jennifer Boysko that would have required any gun owner in a residence with a minor to store the firearm and ammunition in a locked container or compartment, or in a biometric locking device if the gun is loaded.

“It would completely disarm individuals who cannot afford a storage device,” Youngkin wrote.

Boysko, D-Fairfax, previously explained she carried the bill because data shows the majority of youth gun suicides and school shootings are committed with firearms minors obtained from their homes.

Other legislation that saw Youngkin’s veto pen included a bill that would have prohibited leaving a visible firearm in an unattended motor vehicle. It would have created a civil penalty and allowed the unattended motor vehicle to be removed for safekeeping.

Police around Hampton Roads have warned that criminals are obtaining firearms from cars during vehicle break-ins.

“The proposal penalizes law-abiding Virginians for leaving a firearm in their vehicle, regardless of any other circumstances, punishing victims of crimes committed by another individual,” Youngkin wrote. “The culpability is on the criminal who stole the firearm.”

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Youngkin, however, did support legislation intended to hold parents responsible for failing to prevent at-risk children from accessing their guns.

The bill will make it a Class 5 felony for a parent or caregiver to fail to prevent a minor from accessing their firearm — if such child was charged or convicted of a violent juvenile felony, or if the adult had received notice of a preliminary determination that the child posed a threat of violence to themselves or others.

The bill was introduced by three Democrats, but had also picked up some Republican support, passing the House with a vote of 55 to 43, and the Senate with a vote of 27 to 13.

Youngkin signed another bill that will prohibit the manufacturing or transferring of an auto sear, an illegal device which converts firearms into automatic weapons.

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But the governor nixed a bill that would have directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the emotional and economic health effects of gun violence in Virginia. JLARC is a nonpartisan panel that conducts research for the General Assembly.

Youngkin said it was “troubling” that the bill did not require JLARC to examine the benefits of gun ownership.

“Contrary to the historical objectivity and nonpartisanship of JLARC, the proposal would expand the use of studies based on political beliefs,” he wrote.

Youngkin amended a bill that would have required school boards to annually notify parents about the risks of improperly storing guns at home, including statistics relating to firearm-related accidents, injuries, and death among youth. The amended version instead directs the Virginia Department of Education to convene a workgroup to create a comprehensive list of the parental rights and responsibilities.

The governor has until April 8 to act on legislation adopted by the General Assembly, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats. Since the legislature adjourned, Youngkin has announced action on dozens of bills . It would take a two-thirds vote to override any veto, a majority that Democrats do not hold in either chamber.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com