Any chance of even a modest tightening of Virginia's laws governing the ability to purchase firearms died Monday when a Senate panel overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to make available voluntary background checks for the private purchase of firearms at gun shows.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 11-3 to kill Senate Bill 1372, with Democrats and Republicans joining forces to scrap what had just several days earlier been promoted as a compromise on gun show regulation embraced by both sides of the debate.
In the end, some of the most ardent proponents of greater restrictions on firearms voted against the bill in protest, because they said it did too little to address the issue.
"It would only create the impression," said Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, who has previously unsuccessfully carried gun show legislation. "It wouldn't do a thing."
And some of the traditional gun-rights opponents of background check legislation were happy to have Democratic support in killing a bill they did not find particularly offensive, but insisted would not prevent criminals from getting guns.
The bill would have required that a background check kiosk operated by Virginia State Police be present at gun shows to offer private sellers of firearms at the shows the chance to request a background check of their prospective purchasers.
Currently in Virginia, only federally licensed firearms dealers are required to perform background checks on prospective purchasers. There is no requirement for background checks on the private purchase, exchange or transaction of firearms anywhere in the state.
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