RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law a bill that repealed the Commonwealth's one-gun-a-month law.
The law, which went into effect in 1993, limited the number of guns a person could buy in a 30-day period.
Gun violence victims and their family members met with McDonnell and begged him not to sign the law. [POLL: Do you agree with the state lawmakers and Gov. McDonnell's decision to repeal the state's one-handgun-a-month law?]
“I had a very…emotional, a very informative discussion with the families who told me why I should veto the bill and I listened to them," said McDonnell. "I've discussed my views on that…that I supported the second amendment over many years and what I believe are a number of important issues in the law with both the background checks, the strongman purchases and, so forth, that I think have certainly approved our criminal justice laws overall.”
The repeal of the law was supported by state Republican lawmakers and gun-rights groups like the Virginia Citizens Defense League and the National Rifle Association.[COMMENTARY: Mark Holmberg on handgun law]
"Gun rationing schemes are archaic and ineffective. Like every gun control law, this law only burdened law-abiding citizens," said Chris W. Cox, executive director for NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement. "Governor McDonnell and the Virginia General Assembly should be commended for removing this law and for working to place the full burden of Virginia's criminal justice laws on the criminals."
The law goes into effect July 1, 2012.
