Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been pretty cagey on exactly what he plans to do with the plethora of gun control bills Democrats in the state are determined to put on his des, but the vast majority of people figure he’ll veto them.
In fact, I suspect Democrats there are counting on the veto for some reason or another.
They apparently think that the issue is so pressing and so important to voters that they can make it a problem issue for Republicans as a whole.
But they also really want these bills to pass. There’s nothing unusual in them; they’re just a repeat of what Democrats have been wanting for a while. Youngkin, however, isn’t likely to pass them, and that may mean retribution.
Democrats have sent dozens of gun control bills to the governor’s office for his signature. Even though they control both chambers of the General Assembly, they do not have the numbers to override Youngkin’s veto power.
The gun bills they sent to the governor’s desk were largely passed along party lines and include: requiring a locking device for selling and transferring guns; a ban on “ghost guns,” which are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home; a five-day waiting period on all gun purchases; a $500 fine for people who leave a gun visible in an unattended car that is then stolen; a requirement of a firearms safety or training course before gun purchases; and a bill that would ban carrying semi-automatic guns in public places.
Youngkin has gone on record to say he believes Virginia gun laws are already strong enough but has not directly addressed whether he will veto the bills that have been at the top of the Democrats’ legislative agenda.
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If the governor decides to veto the bills, Democrats still have some bargaining power in their arsenal.
Youngkin is counting on them to pass a major $2 billion arena project that would bring the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals to northern Virginia. If Democrats put their foot down, Youngkin’s big deal could become a no deal.
“That’s a nice legislative agenda you’ve got there, Gov. Youngkin. It would be a shame if something happened to it.”
This, boys and girls, is what we call “extortion.” Can you say “extortion?”
Good. I knew you could.
This is an attempt to bully Youngkin into signing bills that go beyond what any Republican is going to stomach. Sure, some might be on board with a red flag law or something like that–we’ve seen way too many lawmakers make noises of support for those–but include things like training mandates and ban on carrying semi-auto firearms in public, which are the most common type of firearm generally carried.
And yet, we can’t forget that even if Youngkin signs the bills, there’s no guarantee that Democrats will play nice on his agenda. It’s not like they can sign a contract saying that he’ll sign this if they pass that. Especially since individual legislators have to vote for a certain thing.
Honestly, I know Youngkin wants the stadiums, but I hope he recognizes that they’re just not worth it at this kind of a price.
