Virginia GOP’ers returned fire over the state Democrat Attorney General Mark Herring’s move to halt recognition of concealed carry permits from 25 different states.
“Our General Assembly has already identified who can and cannot conceal handguns in Virginia, and we cannot have that decision undermined by recognizing permits from other states with more permissive standards,” Herring said when he made the announcement last week.
Republican state legislators could strip Virginia Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe of his protective detail. Virginia Sen. Bill Carrico told The Herald Courier last Tuesday he plans to propose a budget amendment during the State Senate’s January Session that would defund the governor’s protective detail. (RELATED: NRA: 6.3 Million Concealed Carry Permit Holders Affected By Virginia Gun Control Move)
“A lot of the governor’s power is deferred to the General Assembly at that point and I’ll be getting with my colleagues to circumvent everything this governor has done on this point,” Carrico said. “I have a budget amendment that I’m looking at to take away his executive protection unit. If he’s so afraid of guns, then I’m not going to surround him with armed state policemen.”
Pro-gun activists in Virginia claim they secured a promise from a state lawmaker that legislators will propose to defund Herring’s new gun control policy.
Michael Hammond, Gun Owners of America Legislative Counsel, says GOA “obtained commitment from a state legislator that he will move to defund this lawless act when the state legislature considers the budget over the next three months. In addition, we will push to ensure that Herring’s unilateral decree is denied the funds to pursue other political vendettas.”
Virginia will stop recognizing the 25 out-of-state concealed carry permits on February 1. Some states that border the commonwealth will affect specific cities, like Bristol, which Virginia shares with Tennessee, a state whose permit will no longer be honored in the Old Dominion, The Herald Courier notes.
Residents of Bristol say it is unfair that they become criminals as a result of crossing a street in town, because their permit is no good in Virginia anymore.
“I think it’s a crock,” Virginia resident Ted Culberson said. “I think this is a political play that will have a greater impact on Bristol, Tennessee residents than Virginia residents. If a Tennessee resident has a conceal-carry permit and has their firearm they won’t even be able to cross the street.”
McAuliffe vetoed a number of pro-gun bills from the legislature this year and issued an executive order prohibiting concealed carry permit holders with their firearms in executive offices buildings all over the state.
Second Amendment activists are expected to lobby Virginia state legislators from both chambers in Richmond on January 18 during lobby day at the capitol.