Collegiate Times

In this year's Virginia General Assembly session, which began Jan. 9, a flood of gun control-related bills attempted to make their way into Virginia state law.

Some advocated fewer restrictions on gun ownership and transportation, while others called for more stringent gun control.

Some legislation claimed to have nothing to do with the April 16 shootings, while other delegates and senators were open in suggesting that their bills could have prevented the events of April 16 and other similar events in the future.

Delegate Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) presented a bill that would not allow state agencies to have stricter regulations on guns than state law. Although this year's attempt did not include universities, Cole introduced a bill last year that did. Since carrying concealed guns with a permit is legal on Virginia Tech's campus but against the college's rules, last year's bill would have prevented Tech from banning concealed carry. Both bills ultimately failed.

The committee never took up Cole's legislation this year.

"Part of it is just that the load of the committees, the number of bills that we have each year, just kind of overwhelms the process, so we always have some bills that get left out," Cole said. He added that a lot of people were "reluctant" to accept gun-related bills after April 16 because the issue was still very emotional.

His attempt from last year would not have come into effect until July 1, 2007, but he believes such legislation could have helped last April.

"If law-abiding citizens, faculty, or even adult students at Virginia Tech who had a concealed carry permit, if some of them had been carrying, perhaps the tragedy might not have been near as bad as it was," Cole said.

University spokesman Larry Hincker said that although there are a lot of societal issues Tech could "pine on," firearms in classrooms is one that concerns the university.

"We feel that they don't belong here and we've been consistent over time," Hincker said.

A bill presenting a different side of the story came from Sen. Henry Marsh III (D-Richmond), whose dubbed "gun show loophole bill" was defeated 9-6 on Jan. 23.

Since under current laws, only licensed dealers must perform background checks on potential firearm buyers at gun shows, felons and mentally ill individuals restricted from purchasing guns could potentially bypass such checks if buying from private sellers. Marsh wanted this oversight in the gun trade industry regulation closed.

"We didn't make it this year, but I think we're going to keep building on what we've done and try again next year," Marsh said, adding that there is no one way to prevent a shooting similar to Tech's, but new legislation could help.

Gov. Tim Kaine agreed.

"The law does not allow people with mental illnesses to have weapons, and there's a very good reason for that," Kaine said. "If you give them an easy mechanism for them to access weapons without a background check, then you're undermining the clear public safety."

Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Richmond) backed legislation that would have allowed faculty members to carry a firearm that they legally owned with a concealed carry permit on college campuses.

"We weren't called for hearing," Marshall said. "The speaker didn't want to deal with it. They probably were nervous that we would have won."

He said that in banning firearms from campuses, colleges' Boards of Visitors have made distinctions on who can and cannot carry concealed weapons that the legislature did not carve out.

"They're acting like super legislators," Marshall said. "They weren't given that authority."

The delegate added that he spoke with a police officer from a public college in Virginia who said when the next event happens that requires firepower, their force will not have enough guns.  

"We have these mass murderers on campuses and the response of leadership is to pass a bill letting people have concealed carry in restaurants," Marshall said. "That didn't seem subordinate to the situation we're faced with."   

Delegate C. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock) backed a similar bill in 2005 that would allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus. His legislation was stopped in committee. This session, Gilbert presented a bill that would restrict colleges' Boards of Visitors from stopping anyone with a concealed carry permit from carrying on state property.

However, Kaine said that after speaking with a "number of campus police chiefs and other law enforcement officers," he disagrees with the rationale of concealed carry on campus.

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