Gun Control Battle Deepens as Legislation Advances in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va.—Hundreds of Second Amendment advocates converged on Virginias state capital on Jan. 13 to oppose a slew of tighter gun control proposals being voted on by newly elected state lawmakers.

The long line of Virginia residents—many wearing bright “Guns Save Lives” stickers—showed up before 8 a.m. in a show of support for their constitutional rights that they say are being infringed upon. Some gun control advocates attended as well, holding signs with slogans, such as “sensible gun laws equal less gun violence.”

The rallying crowds did little to stop four gun control measures from advancing in the states Democratic-led General Assembly after approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee passed legislation for universal background checks, a measure allowing localities to ban weapons from some events and government buildings, a “red flag” bill allowing authorities to temporarily confiscate guns from certain individuals deemed a risk, and a law that limits the purchase of handguns to only one per month.

NOW: Im at Virginia state Capitol where lawmakers are expected to vote on a number of proposed gun control bills. Many gun advocates are showing up to protest against them. pic.twitter.com/XuAtxreeOQ

In interviews with The Epoch Times, Second Amendment advocates, including local residents, county sheriffs, gun store owners, and Virginias NRA leader, argued the proposed gun control measures were an overreach that violated residents constitutional rights. They said stricter legislation will do nothing to stop criminals from committing crimes and said the focus should be more on mental health.

The four bills now advance to the Virginia Senate for further discussion. They would need to be passed by the Senate, the House of Delegates, and be signed by Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to become law.

Democrats won control of both chambers of the state legislature in the November 2019 elections and have vowed to enact stronger gun control policies. They believe stricter legislation will help reduce shootings and deaths and would “break the cycle” of gun violence.

The committee ended up largely voting along party lines, but not every piece of legislation was approved passed. One proposed measure ( SB-16 ) that had sparked the most controversy —banning the sale and possession of so-called assault weapons—was taken off the table. According to The Associated Press , an estimated 8 million AR-style guns have been sold since its introduction to the public in the 1960s.

Matthew Thwing, a 41-year-old small-business owner in Virginia, said he attended the hearing to have his voice heard and to show that he and the other “nearly 1,000” Second Amendment advocates werent going to stand for the new agenda pushed by state lawmakers. An additional overflow room had to be opened during the hearing, because of the large numbers.

“I think that if theres a mandate in Virginia, its that they dont want gun control. We dont want gun control,” he told The Epoch Times. “These numbers are tremendous, and you really dont see that kind of turnout for any kind of political event whatsoever.

“Its woken a sleeping giant, if you will,” Thwing added. Some of the Second Amendment supporters took the day off work to attend, while others drove from hours away.

The number of Second Amendment supporters who showed up was not surprising, Matt Rogers, chief of staff to Sen. David W. Marsden (D-Fairfax), said before the hearing. Marsden represents the 37th District in the state Senate.

“There are people here on this side, and on that side,” Rogers told The Epoch Times. “Im absolutely not surprised, its a democracy. Its not a problem and its actually exciting, even if people dont tend to agree with our point of view … this is the right way to address their grievances.”

Rogers said they have to “be mindful” of the Second Amendment, but he added that there are things that can be done “within the bounds” of it.