Less than 6 weeks after bloodbath at Virginia Beach, Virginia rejects tougher gun laws

Virginia Republicans slammed the door on a wide range of gun control measures Tuesday, adjourning a one-day special legislative session called by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam less than six weeks after a gunman's rampage in Virginia Beach left 12 people dead.

Gun control supporters had hoped the special session would energize their efforts nationwide to turn the tide against the "corrosive influence" of the gun lobby. Kris Brown, president of the Washington-based Brady gun control group, described the state's GOP leadership as "nothing short of cowards" who could have set an example for the nation.

"If these 'leaders' won't enact solutions that their own constituents are demanding, then we're going to fight tooth and nail for representatives who will," Brown said.

Northam and other Democratic leaders in the state were hoping the outrage sparked by the carnage in Virginia Beach would propel their plan through the Legislature.

"Let’s turn our pain into purpose. Let’s come together to pass common sense gun safety laws," Northam tweeted hours before the session began.

Supporters of the measures rallied Tuesday at the Capitol in Richmond as Northam led them in vigorous chants of "enough is enough." Nearby, gun rights supporters held their own demonstration.

After some early drama, the GOP-controlled Legislature rejected all the proposals without a vote.

Earlier, the session heated up when Republican Sen. Bill Stanley resigned as majority whip of his party's caucus, citing a bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment that would ban guns from most government buildings. Norment's wife lobbies for the city of Virginia Beach.

Norment withdrew his bill, and Stanley was voted back into the position as his party attempted to shore up its position of unity. A split in the Republican position would have aided Northam, whose biggest obstacle was numbers – Republicans hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

The gun issue comes at a politically sensitive time in Virginia, where all 140 seats are up for election in November. Democrats and the gun control lobby say GOP rejection of meaningful gun control legislation could catapult Democrats to control of both legislative bodies.

The Republican majorities carried the day. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said Republicans have routinely killed similar measures. He said it was impossible to say what impact Tuesday's session could have in November.

"I think that much will depend on how voters feel about the quality of the candidates who are running in November," he told USA TODAY, "how the two parties address the issues that voters care about and how successful the parties are in turning out voters."

Brown said most Americans – and Virginians – overwhelmingly support the proposals.

"There are 119 days between now and Election Day, and we are going to work every single one of them to ensure that the next time these votes come around, we’re going to see real and meaningful action instead of this shameful nonsense," Brown said.

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The Virginia Citizens Defense League was dismissive of Northam's plan, saying it punished law-abiding gun owners without harming criminals.

"Gov. Northam is engaging in a despicable act of political theater after the Virginia Beach tragedy in order to deflect attention from his recent scandals," the group said in a statement.

The issue carried added weight for Northam, whose governorship was pushed to the political precipice by a blackface scandal that had members of both parties calling for his resignation less than six months ago. Those calls have eased, and success with his gun control legislation could have provided a signature success and put the blackface issue firmly in his rearview mirror.

"Many people here think that his reputation has improved," Tobias said. "He has engaged in much outreach on the the gun safety and other issues."

Northam's package included background checks on all firearms sales and transactions. The bill would have mandated that any person selling, renting, trading or transferring a firearm must first obtain the results of a background check before completing the transaction.

Northam wanted to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, bump stocks and silencers and reinstate a law that would allow only one handgun purchase within a 30-day period.

Northam proposed an Extreme Risk Protective Order, allowing law enforcement and the courts to temporarily separate a person from firearms if the person exhibited dangerous behavior that presented an immediate threat to self or others. All individuals subject to final protective orders would have been banned from possessing firearms.

The governor wanted to allow local governments to enact any firearms ordinances stricter than state law.

"No more waiting until the next tragedy," Northam said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Less than 6 weeks after bloodbath at Virginia Beach, Virginia rejects tougher gun laws