According to Firearm Chronicles
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Governor Northam today signed gun control bills that passed during the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. He had already signed a bill that removed the option to take the required training to apply for a concealed handgun permit through online classes. Today he signed all but four (companion bills) of the remaining bills. He had until 11:59 PM tomorrow to do so. Most of the bills will become effective on July 1, 2020, but a few will become effective on January 1, 2021. While we don’t like these bills, the bills signed today are not as bad as they could be. The combined efforts of VSSA, the NRA, and others, helped make these bills less restrictive than they were introduced. Handgun rationing includes an exemption for individuals that have a concealed handgun permit. The so-called “universal” background check bill only applies to sales. Firearms given as gifts do not require a background check on the person receiving a gift.
ABC News reported that during a conference call with gun ban advocates today, Governor Northam said, “This is an exciting day for me.” USA Today reported that “Missing from the package that Northam had proposed, was a ban on the sale of ‘assault’ firearms and guns with high capacity magazines. On Friday, Northam vowed to reintroduce the measure in the next legislative session. “We can’t stop here. We need to keep working on this issue. It will be year after year,” Northam said on a press call.” ABC News also reported that gun-ban advocates are planning to replicate their success in Virginia in other states. John Feinblatt, president of Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety, told ABC News that his group plans to spend heavily in key battleground states this year like Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania to elect lawmakers who support new gun ban laws.