Senate gun show bill in limbo, but talks continue
RICHMOND — A state Senate committee this week may shelve legislation requiring criminal background checks for all firearms sales at gun shows, but a Republican member of the panel said he will continue working toward a compromise on the divisive issue this year.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee took no action today on a proposed compromise that was hastily crafted during a Friday meeting. An architect of that deal, Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, said he remains unsatisfied with the legislation and plans to vote against when it comes up for a committee vote, likely on Wednesday.
But Stanley said he will continue to seek a solution agreeable to advocates on both sides of the issue.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Stanley said today. “The devil’s in the details and there’s a lot to make sure that we have this in the right posture.”
On Friday, Stanley and Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico County, sketched out a compromise on closing the so-called “gun show loophole,” which allows buyers to purchase guns from private sellers at gun shows without submitting to a criminal records check. Federally licensed dealers who sell firearms at the same shows must conduct the background checks.
The Courts of Justice Committee initially voted to advance the bill Friday, but later recalled the legislation at Stanley’s request. The proposal would have allowed only federally licensed dealers to sell firearms at gun shows. Under the proposal, private sellers would be allowed to consign guns to licensed dealers, who then could conduct the sale and background check.
Stanley said he wants to find a compromise that would expand background checks at gun shows while preserving the ability of private sellers to sell firearms.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Henry Marsh, D-Richmond, attended President Barack Obama’s inauguration today and was not present for today’s committee meeting. This also happened to be the day that a large group of gun rights advocates were on Capitol Square to lobby legislators.
If Marsh’s bill fails, it’s unclear whether Stanley could get a bill through in this session. The deadline for introducing legislation in the 2013 session was Friday. Stanley would need unanimous consent from the Senate to introduce the bill.
Stanley said he is considering a proposal to have gun show promoters set up a “voluntary kiosk” where criminal background checks could be conducted. To encourage private sellers to use the system, the state could give them civil immunity if the firearms they sell later are used in a negligent way, Stanley said.
“Ultimately, what we’re trying to get at is to encourage behavior of voluntary background checks between private sellers and purchasers without making it a compulsory process,” Stanley said.
Stanley said advocates on both sides of the gun control debate have reacted favorably to the idea. He said he will continue to talk with advocates on both sides of the debate in an effort to find common ground on an issue that gets debated year after year in the General Assembly.
“I think it’s important that people on both sides of the issue get together and talk,” Stanley said.
– Michael Sluss
January 21, 2013 - 1:46 PM
Anyone against background checks, are simply in favor of the slaughter of innocent people and letting felons and mentally ill people owning guns. Shame on anyone that votes against MANDATORY background checks you all have blood on your hands.
Shame on YOU for trying to tell people what to do with their property! Democrats love dead innocent children as seen through their ardent support of abortion.
Funny republicans are against abortion but once the child is born they don’t care if they suffer, whether it be through hunger, lack of shelter, lack of heat, or being gunned down. As long as the hillbillies get to keep their guns.
Murdering unborn children is what turns the Democrats like `hokie hater` on…Hillbillies keeping their guns ? Yep.
You want to tell women what to do with their womb and it is us who should be ashamed? There is something seriously wrong with your picture. Can you possibly believe that only Democrats have abortions? Can you be that dense?
Because you do not have the sense to support all efforts to end abortion (and you don’t), you cannot claim it is Dems who are the “ardent” supporters of it. Your efforts seem pretty “ardent” too.
Exempting gun buyers at gun shows from meeting the requirements they would have to meet if buying from a licensed gun shop is like exempting drivers from needing a driver’s license if they buy their car from an individual instead of from a licensed car dealer.
Dialogue like that posted in the first four are not exactly what this statement suggests.
“I think it’s important that people on both sides of the issue get together and talk,” Stanley said.
IMO, unlicensed dealers as seem to be largely present at the last two show I attended are those who rent tables and offer potentially hundreds of modern firearms to anyone with the money. A legit dealer tends to oppose this failure of adequate control, mostly from a competitive issue rather than the moral one but still they oppose it. I oppose it as well.
HOWEVER, I see a nice looking firearm offered by some old dud with an Army hat on and buy it from him for my use….NO NEED FOR A CHECK. Single gun transactions between individuals need not be “regulated”.