Lethal weapons? Senate Democrats decry switchblade bill

This afternoon, on a party-line vote, the Virginia Senate passed a bill, SB 865, to carve out an exception to allow minors to be provided with dangerous weapons.

The bill, proposed by Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Montross, exempts the transfer of a dirk, switchblade knife, or bowie knife between family members or for the purpose of engaging in a sporting event or activity from the current prohibition against selling, bartering, giving, or furnishing such weapons to a minor.

Said Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Bath),”My colleagues attempted to make the debate on this bill an urban vs. rural issue. That’s not what this is about. I have skinned animals and didn’t need a bowie knife or a dirk. There is absolutely no need for minors to be furnished with nine-inch blades. This is simply ridiculous.”

Said Senator Barbara Favola (D-Arlington), “The bill creates unnecessarily vague exceptions for ‘family members’ or ‘for the purpose of engaging in a sporting event’ or ‘an activity’. If my colleagues want to make it legal for adults to give minors deadly weapons, they should come forward with a bill that does that explicitly – not trying to use crafty legislative language, hiding behind ‘sporting’.”