Why is Governor Youngkin Scared To Take on The Gun Lobby?

From DPVA:

Why is Governor Youngkin Scared To Take on The Gun Lobby?

Richmond, VA – In the wake of the Highland Park shooting, the Uvalde shooting, the Buffalo shooting, and the other 314 mass shootings in 2022 alone, Governor Youngkin and Republicans fail to address the underlying issue of these tragedies – guns.

Rather than work to pass common sense legislation, Governor Youngkin and Republicans spent the 2022 session attempting to pass dozens of bills aimed at rolling back crucial life-saving gun laws Democrats passed in recent years. From repealing laws banning guns in daycares to allowing guns on school property, Republicans demonstrated their commitment to putting more guns on our streets. Thankfully, their efforts were met with a brick wall. Virginia Democrats will not allow Republicans to roll back our progress.

Here’s the list of dangerous Republican failed bills:

• HB11 Reduces penalties for individuals who illegally carry dangerous concealed weapons.
• HB14 / HB299 / SB364 Repeals the one handgun a month law, which prevents people from buying more than one handgun within a 30-day period.
• HB23 / HB188 Repeals law banning guns in churches.
• HB26 / HB827 / SB74 Repeals/undermines law allowing localities to regulate firearms in public spaces.
• SB61 / SB763 Creates loopholes in the local authority law by allowing certain people to carry firearms in prohibited locations.
• HB133 / HB1333 Repeals law banning guns in daycares.
• HB204 Repeals “Charleston Loophole” law, which ensures gun dealers don’t sell a person a firearm for at least five days while they’re awaiting results from a background check.
• HB325 Repeals law requiring gun owners to report lost and stolen firearms to law enforcement.
• HB509 Repeals Extreme Risk Protective Order legislation, which allows law enforcement to temporarily separate a person from their firearms if they pose a risk to themselves or others.
• SB75 Repeals the ban on carrying firearms at the Capitol, Capitol Square, and in state buildings.
• HB288 / SB330 Repeals law requiring Virginians to obtain a concealed handgun permit before carrying a concealed handgun.
• HB292 Repeals requirements that a person take in-person classes and demonstrate competency with a firearm prior to obtaining a concealed handgun permit.
• SB644 Allows individuals with concealed handgun permits to circumvent background check laws.
• HB1051 Repeals law prohibiting certain individuals subject to protective orders from possessing firearms and requiring them to surrender their firearms within 24 hours.
• HB1078 Repeals law that makes it a felony to brandish a firearm while part of a group engaged in paramilitary activity.
• HB391 Repeals gun-free zone law on school property.

This is nothing new. Governor Youngkin has always been on the side of the gun lobby. When the Governor announced the creation of a Violent Crime Task Force, he side-stepped and refused to answer any questions about why his task force isn’t addressing the number one cause of violent crimes – guns.

Then after a white supremacist terrorist used an AR-15 in a Buffalo, New York grocery store killing 10 people, the Governor’s statement conveniently left out any mention of white supremacy or the cause of the tragedy – guns.

“Enough is enough, too many innocent children, mothers, fathers, and friends have died from senseless acts of gun violence,” said DPVA Spokesperson Gianni Snidle. “Rather than finding real solutions to these senseless tragedies and keeping our communities, schools, and Commonwealth safe, the Governor would rather play politics and keep the gun industry happy. Unlike our Governor, Virginia Democrats aren’t scared to take on the gun lobby. We are committed to ensuring that crucial gun safety measures remain in place and will never stop working until we solve the gun violence crisis.”