Virginia Senate votes to repeal one-gun-a-month

On a 21-19 vote the Virginia Senate today passed legislation to allow the purchase of more than one handgun a month, foretelling what is likely to be one of the most significant changes in Virginia's gun laws in 20 years.

Coupled with approval of similar legislation in the House of Delegates, the Senate vote means the legislation is likely to reach the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell who has indicated he would sign it into law.

Two Democrats, Sen. John S. Edwards of Roanoke and R. Creigh Deeds of Bath, sided with Republicans. Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, the GOP Senate leader, voted with Democrats.

The measure now heads to the House of Delegates, where it is expected to be swfitly approved.

Currently, Virginians are prohibited by law from purchasing more than one handgun a month. The law, backed by then-Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, was enacted in 1993 in response to problems with interstate gun trafficking. Attempts to repeal it in previous years had failed.

But this year, with Republican control of the evenly divided Virginia Senate and its committees -- as well as the backing of gun-friendly Democrats in rural areas -- the bill advanced through the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and made it to the floor of the chamber.

Proponents argued that the law is no longner necessary thanks to an update computerized background check system. The also said the current law provides for so many exceptions already that it is already diluted.

Sen. Charles W. Carrico Sr., R-Grayson, the sponsor of Senate Bill 323, said the law would bring Virginia in line with most other states, noting that only Maryland, California and New Jersey have similar laws.

“We will continue to watch the one-handgun-a-month bills as they now flow through the opposite House,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League in an email alert to supporters that heralded the Senate passage with exclamation marks.

“The albatross is almost dead.”

Critics said lifting the ban would do away with reasonable controls that exist to thwart bulk-purchase gun trafficking between states.

 Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, said Virginia would again become a haven for traffickers and be worthy of a new nickname: "Virginia, Gunrunners Paradise."

And Sen. Richard L. Saslaw said he didn't see how allowing the purchase of more than one handgun a month would make Virginia or its neighbors safer. He noted that under the current law, anyone who purchased one handgun a month over the last 20 years of the ban would now have 240 handguns.

"If you need more than 240 handguns, then I would submit something's wrong with you," he said. "Something's gone wrong in your life."

Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws also criticized the vote.

“Virginia has had more than its share of horrific tragedies perpetrated by criminals with easy access to firearms,” said Lori Haas, mother of Emily Haas, a survivor of the Virginia Tech shootings.  “It is a sad day when our legislators purposely make it easier for gun traffickers to do their dirty business."

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. Read more in tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.)