Republican lawmakers in Virginia shut down Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) special gun control session on July 9.
Courthouse News reports that Republicans “voted…to adjourn the session until Nov. 18, two weeks after the Nov. 5 general election.” This effectively puts the outcome of the gun control session in the hands of voters.
Virginia Democrat Party chairwoman Susan Swecker slammed Republicans for shutting down the session, saying, “Republican Senators and Delegates showed today they are cowards who could give a damn about keeping Virginians safe from gun violence. They ran away from their jobs at a time when Virginians needed them most.”
Swecker did not mention that the special session was called as a result of the May 31, Virginia Beach shooting, yet the gun controls they were to consider would not have prevented that shooting from taking place.
On July 8, Breitbart News reported that Gov. Northam was seeking a ban on suppressors and “high capacity” magazines. He also wanted lawmakers to limit law-abiding Virginians to purchasing one handgun a month. But none of these controls would have prevented the VA Beach shooting, which was carried out by a man with two handguns, both of which had been legally acquired.
The VA Beach shooting occurred in a portion of the building that was designated “gun-free.” Magazine capacity is not an issue in such a situation, because the attacker is the only person who is armed. Therefore, he has all the time in the world to reload.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.