Governor Kaine yesterday vetoed House Bill 1106, which would have "[created] a new exemption to the general prohibition against carrying concealed weapons by allowing a person who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a private motor vehicle or boat if the handgun is locked in a container or compartment in the vehicle or vessel." Kaine's veto message said:
This measure runs contrary to existing state law regarding concealed weapon permits, allowing persons who have not completed a criminal background check, and who are untrained with a handgun, to possess a firearm in a concealed manner within a locked compartment in their automobiles.It also presents a danger to our law enforcement officers, who risk their lives for Virginians on a daily basis while patrolling our Commonwealth+óGé¼Gäós roads and highways. The objections of law enforcement to this measure are compelling.
Kudos to Tim Kaine for defending and protecting our law enforcement officers.
By the way, here's what House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian J. Moran has to say about HB 1106:
The police work hard to protect our communities, and I believe that we should strive to protect the as well. That is why I opposed a bill, HB 1106, proposed by Delegate Clay Athey (R-Warrenton) that would permit carrying a concealed weapon, such as a gun or machete, in a car without going through the concealed weapon permit process. While I am a strong supporter of individual rights, I found this bill to be imprudent and recklessly cavalier. In the fervor to pass this bill, its supporters neglected to fully consider its possible consequences. This bill puts police officers in danger. A police officer approaching a vehicle with tinted windows late at night must now assume there is a weapon inside. It also creates a dangerous loophole that would allow MS-13 gang members to legally carry guns in their cars.
Sounds like more than ample reason to veto this bill. Good work, guys.