Everytown for Gun Control is all bent out of shape over their bought-and-paid for Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced his support for a bill that would turn the State of Virginia into a “Universal Reciprocity” state – vastly increasing the number of states Virginia recognizes.  This move reverses the unilateral decision by Virginia’s rabidly anti-gun Attorney General Mark Herring severing reciprocity for non-residents traveling in Virginia.  Herring was all cock-sure of himself back in December with his stunt.

Yes, Everytown and others were gleefully touting McAuliffe’s stunt.  Here’s part of an Everytown press release:

Everytown Praises Virginia Attorney General Herring for Taking Executive Action Aimed at Keeping Virginians Safe from Gun Violence

Attorney General Review of Concealed Carry Laws Makes Sure Visitors Are Subject to Same Laws as Virginia Residents

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Ownership is having a while herd of kittens too.

McAuliffe and his rabidly anti-gun Attorney General thought they had the world by the tail when they made the announcement to end reciprocity with almost every other state about a month ago.  In reality, they were too smart by half.

McAuliffe and crew weren’t expecting to get a kick in the teeth and good old former Democrat National Committee Chair McAuliffe is trying to spin his humiliating defeat as a big advancement for gun control.

Nobody was buying that manure.

What’s more, CSGV said themselves “This was an unnecessary squandering of political capital.”    But the Governor thought he was making a big splash for gun control. 

What he found was that pro-gun folks pushed back twice as hard.

Here’s the CSGV Facebook Page post on it.

Here’s the lowdown on the deal Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe brokered with the National Rifle Association. It is NOT pretty.

* The Virginia State Police would be allowed to contact the FBI and conduct background checks for private sellers of firearms. But no private seller would ever actually be REQUIRED to run such a check on their buyers.

* Would make it illegal for someone who is the subject of a protective order to possess a firearm under Virginia law (already illegal under federal law). This would apply only to permanent protective orders in cases of family abuse. The bill establishes no mechanism for the removal of these firearms by law enforcement, however, so if abusers don’t voluntarily relinquish them, they aren’t going anywhere.

* Allow individuals subject to protective orders 24 hours to sell off their firearm (no background check, no record of sale) before the order becomes active.

* Virginia would extend concealed carry reciprocity to all 49 other states, which would EXCEED the # of states Virginia was granting reciprocity to before Attorney General Herring revoked reciprocity agreements with 25 states that did not meet Virginia’s permitting standards.

* No state granted reciprocity by Virginia would have to ensure they can verify their concealed handgun permits on a 24/7 basis.

* Under the universal reciprocity agreement, the following types of out-of-staters would be able to carry loaded, concealed handguns in Virginia: Stalkers; those convicted of violent misdemeanor offenses (i.e., assault/battery, weapons charges, sex offenses, etc.); habitual drunkards; juveniles convicted of offenses that would have been felonies had they been adults; and persons whose mental illness causes them to be a potential danger to self or others.

* Would prevent individuals whose concealed handgun permits have been revoked by Virginia from “shopping” out of state to find a new permit that would allow them to carry again in the Commonwealth.

Mr. Governor, you have been a good friend and led the way on this issue for many months. But if you think we are going to let you drive this bill home without a fight, you’ve got another thing coming. It is terrible.

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