February 6, 2012

The Virginia Senate passed legislation Monday repealing the 1993 one-handgun-a-month law, all but ensuring the demise of a statute enacted after the state became a supplier of guns used in crimes in New York and other major East Coast cities.

On a mostly party-line vote, the Senate passed Republican Sen. Bill Carrico's bill 21-19. Democrats John Edwards of Roanoke and Creigh Deeds of Bath County voted with Republicans, and Thomas K. Norment Jr. of James City County was the lone GOP dissenter.

The House of Delegates passed its version of the bill by a wide margin last week, and Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has said he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.

Two years ago, legislation to repeal the law widely regarded as former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder's signature accomplishment cleared the House. But it was killed by a subcommittee established by the Senate's Democratic majority to reject pro-gun measures.

Emboldened by last fall's electoral gains that gave Republicans organizational control of the Senate, conservative lawmakers have offered several pro-gun measures this session. The one-handgun-a-month repeal is perhaps the most significant of those measures still alive after a proposal to allow guns on college campuses was postponed until next year.

"It's something that should have happened a long time ago," Philip Van Cleave, president of the pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense league, said in a telephone interview. "The government is rationing firearms, as if that's going to make a difference to criminals. It never does."

Gun control advocates believed they had three Republicans on their side, but that was before the Senate took a one-hour recess so the GOP caucus could shore up support for the bill. They were bitterly disappointed by the outcome.

"Virginia has had more than its share of horrific tragedies perpetrated by criminals with easy access to firearms," Lori Haas, whose daughter Emily was wounded in the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, said in a statement. "It is a sad day when our legislators purposely make it easier for gun traffickers to do their dirty business."

Andrew Goddard, president of the Virginia Center for Public Safety, said senators ignored public opinion polls showing Virginians remain concerned about gun violence.

"We don't need to turn back the clock and return to an era when Virginia was ground zero for the gun-running cartels," Goddard said.

Carrico, R-Grayson, said the limit on handgun purchases is no longer necessary because of enhanced federal record-keeping and a law that restricts out-of-state handgun purchases to federally licensed firearms dealers. He also noted that the General Assembly has amended the law several times over the past two decades to exempt various purchasers from the limit — most notably, the 287,000 Virginians who have concealed weapons permits.

He also said only three other states — Maryland, California and New Jersey — limit the number of handguns that can be bought each month. South Carolina repealed its one-gun-a-month law in 2004.

"Basically, this will bring us in line with other states," Carrico said.

Opponents of the bill suggested the rationale behind the one-handgun-a-month law — curbing the flow of guns from Virginia into other states — is still valid.

"We have an obligation to each other," Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, said of the region's states. "I think this is an ill-advised way to go. Let's be a good neighbor."

Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, agreed.

"I just don't know what good could possibly come of this," he said.

Saslaw noted that anyone who bought one handgun a month for the last 20 years would have 240 handguns.

"If you need more than 240 handguns, something is wrong with you. Something has gone terribly wrong in your life," Saslaw said.