Kaine announces vetoes of justice legislation pieces

No triggerman rule, no concealed weapons in restaurants, no expansion of Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month rule – not on Gov. Tim Kaine’s watch.
“Virginia is already second in the nation in the number of executions we carry out. While the nature of the offenses targeted by this legislation is very serious, I do not believe that further expansion of the death penalty is necessary to protect human life,” said Kaine in explaining what could be a controversial veto of legislation that would expand Virginia’s death penalty to include exposure to the death penalty for principals in the second degree and accessories before the fact and related legislation that would allow for the imposition of the death penalty for those convicted of killing fire marshals.

The veto of legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons into restaurants and clubs that serve alcohol could raise the ire of Second Amendment advocates”Allowing concealed weapons into restaurants and bars that serve alcohol puts the public, the employees, and our public safety officers at risk. I take seriously the objections of law enforcement to this measure,” Kaine said of his veto of Senate Bill 877, which would specifically allow retired law-enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons into restaurants and clubs that serve alcohol.

“While it makes sense for current law enforcement officers to be permitted to carry their firearms when in such establishments, there is no compelling reason for retired law enforcement officers to have weapons in locations where alcohol is served,” Kaine said.

Kaine also announced vetoes of bills that would allow unlicensed law-enforcement officers to operate new, unregulated lie-detection devices, would allow Virginia residents to complete necessary firearms training to qualify for concealed-weapons permits online and would prohibit local governments from conducting voluntary gun-buyback programs and then destroy the weapons purchased under the terms of those programs.

One final veto came on a bill that would create a new exemption to the state’s one-handgun-a-month law to apply to state and non-state residents who are active-duty military members.

“Because holders of valid Virginia concealed weapons permits are already able to purchase more than one handgun per month, House Bill 1851 only extends the ability to buy more than one handgun a month to nonresidents or those Virginians unable to obtain a concealed weapons permit,” Kaine said.

All of the vetoes are subject to override by a two-thirds majority of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly.

– Story by Chris Graham