(Daily360.com) Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin blocked 30 bills from becoming law as a means to protect the Second Amendment for the citizens of Virginia. Youngkin had hoped to gain power through legislative elections in November of 2023 but Democrats captured both the State Senate and House of Delegates. Since that election instead of furthering a Republican agenda in his state, Youngkin has been forced to battle leftist policies that make their way to his office.
Youngkin says he blocked the 30 bills because he was defending the gun rights of Virginians and not allowing the state to lurch left. Youngkin cited his oath to the Constitution that “absolutely includes protecting” the rights of Americans to own and purchase firearms.
The governor was specific in his reasoning for each of the vetoed bills. One bill would mandate that no gun dealers be located near schools but specifically referenced one particular school and by doing so Youngkin deemed it unconstitutional. Another bill passed by the Democrat legislature would ban private citizens from owning forearms within a certain proximity to schools but seemed to single out one specific individual and for this reason Youngkin vetoed it.
The formerly red state of Virginia has been electing more Democrats in recent years due to its new and ever-growing Democrat voting population. Youngkin’s 2021 win over Democrat insider and former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe shocked many people in the political sphere and many wondered if this shift would continue. The 2023 election would seem to indicate Youngkin’s election may have been an anomaly.
For the time being if the Democrat legislature wants to advance their policies they’re going to have to compromise with the Republican governor on some issues. Among the other bills Youngkin vetoed were the requiring of a gun safety course to obtain a concealed carry permit, the requirement of finger prints to obtain a concealed carry permit, civil penalties for firearm companies, reduction in concealed carry rights for out-of-state holders, and making it a crime to possess a firearm within 100 feet of a voting location including ballot boxes.
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