NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are debating legislation aimed at keeping firearms out of children's hands, as well as preventing them from being stolen out of attended vehicles, but it's receiving pushback from pro-gun rights groups.
The bill says people can't leave guns in their cars in the glovebox unless the glovebox is specifically made to store guns.
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The proposed bill in the Virginia General Assembly seeks to keep loaded guns out of children's hands while also requiring that firearms be locked away in cars when vehicles are unattended.
"We want to make sure that those firearms stored within your vehicles are designed to hold a firearm," said Del. Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach). "When you're looking at a lot of glove boxes, it might not be the best method to store it in."
However, proponents of Second Amendment rights have criticized the legislation as being overly broad.
"If it's out of sight and the car itself is locked, then what's wrong with that?" said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. "You're trying to make a one-size-fits-all policy, and that just doesn't work."
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Still, Feggans notes that some cars are being manufactured specifically to store firearms safely.
"We're working towards making sure that firearms that are left unattended in vehicles have proper ways that if they're broken into, that it would deter someone from stealing them," he said.
The bill has already passed in the House of Delegates and is now under consideration in the Senate.
If approved, it would head to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has vetoed numerous gun bills over the years.
"We will go to the governor and ask him to veto it," Van Cleave said.
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