See below for statements from the Virginia House and Senate Democrats on the shootings in Chesapeake and at UVA, how “time and time again, Glenn Youngkin’s MAGA administration and NRA-funded House Republicans have stood in the way of protections and cut funding for gun violence prevention”; and how “[w]e must collectively come together to end gun violence in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s the reasonable and sensible thing to do.”
Statement from Virginia House Democrats on Gun Violence Epidemic
Tragedies like what took place at UVA just last week and in Chesapeake last night are all too common in America and across the Commonwealth. It is unacceptable that six more families will have an empty seat at their Thanksgiving table this year.
The Virginia House Democrats have consistently put forth legislation to create safeguards against this persistent gun violence. Yet time and time again, Glenn Youngkin’s MAGA administration and NRA-funded House Republicans have stood in the way of protections and cut funding for gun violence prevention. They’ve even sought to repeal common sense measures like red flag laws.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to every victim and their families. But thoughts and prayers without action are empty. Enough is enough. We can do better than just thoughts and prayers in Virginia.
House Democrats will raise this issue again in our new session — it is past time for the other side to stand with us and protect Virginians. During next year’s session we plan to support legislation that works to increase industry accountability and put age restrictions on certain weapons, we will also propose bills to ban the use of ghost guns, and create limits on high capacity magazines. Finally, we will work to address the issue by empowering communities and community based organizations to deal with the crippling effects of poverty, our lack of mental health resources, and to create more youth engagement programs.
STATEMENT: Virginia Senate Democrats’ Statement on Chesapeake Shooting
CHESAPEAKE– Today the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus released the following statement about the tragic shooting in Chesapeake, Va.
“Thanksgiving is the time we traditionally take a moment to reflect on those things in our lives that truly make us thankful. Instead, we find ourselves once again in the posture of mourning for the victims of yet another mass shooting in Virginia. Our thoughts are with the eight families mourning the loss of their loved ones and we mourn with the community of Chesapeake, Virginia. We are beyond the point of ‘thoughts and prayers,’ and we should all agree that enough is simply enough. We must collectively come together to end gun violence in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s the reasonable and sensible thing to do.”
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