Virginia Senate committee approves concealed-weapons legislation

Virginia's drinking establishments soon may be open for business to a new clientele -- people carrying concealed weapons.

The Courts of Justice Committee of the state Senate yesterday narrowly approved legislation that will enable holders of concealed-weapons permits to take their firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol.

The committee also approved legislation that would allow people without concealed-weapons permits to stow weapons in their cars and approved another bill that would allow concealed-weapons-permit holders to renew permits by mail.

Senate Bill 334, sponsored by Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr., R-Augusta, would make it a misdemeanor offense to consume alcohol in a restaurant while carrying a concealed firearm.

Currently, people may carry concealed weapons into Virginia restaurants that do not serve alcohol; they may also bring firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol as long as they are in plain view. Restaurant owners, however, have the right to prohibit weapons of any kind in their establishments.

"It's been my opinion that alcohol and guns don't mix," Rob McNulty, the owner of Siné Irish Pub in Richmond's Shockoe Slip told the committee, which heard from the National Rifle Association and two parents of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre in April 2007.

Similar legislation has passed the full General Assembly the last two years, only to be vetoed by then-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. Gov. Bob McDonnell has indicated that he supports the legislation.

Three rural Democrats -- W. Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County, John S. Edwards of Roanoke, and R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County -- joined four Republicans on the winning side of the 8-7 vote, in addition to suburban Democrat Chap Petersen of Fairfax. Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr. of James City County was the lone Republican to vote against the bill.

The same coalition of Democrats fueled passage of two other bills on the Democrat-controlled committee that typically garner more support from Republicans.

Approved by a vote of 8-7, Senate Bill 408, sponsored by Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, R-Fauquier, would allow people who do not already have a concealed-weapons permit to keep their weapon "in a locked container or compartment" in their car. A similar bill managed to pass the committee last year but was defeated in the full Senate.

Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Ralph K. Smith, R-Botetourt, would allow a person who already has a concealed-weapons permit to renew the permit by mail. The bill passed 9-6, though not without the objection of Andrew Goddard -- the father of Tech shooting survivor Colin Goddard -- who said the ease with which a permit can be obtained indicates that the "system is broken and needs to be fixed."

Perhaps the most significant development of the hearing, however, was the bill that was shelved by the committee, legislation that would close the so-called gun-show loophole by requiring private sellers at gun shows to conduct criminal checks on customers who do not have concealed-weapons permits.

The bill would exempt purchasers who already have a concealed-weapons permit and would require the gun show promoter to provide resources for private sellers to conduct the background checks.

Democrats said Senate Bill 595, sponsored by Sen. Louise L. Lucas, D-Portsmouth, was withdrawn from consideration because the party didn't have the votes to get the bill successfully out of the committee or the full Senate. A similar bill cleared the committee last year by a vote of 10-5 before dying in a close vote on the Senate floor.

The pullback rankled advocates of the legislation, who saw the retreat as a political maneuver to spare Democrats a politically sensitive vote on legislation that most acknowledge stands little chance of succeeding in the House or with the McDonnell administration.

"SB 595, which surely would have passed out of committee with bipartisan support from 10 senators, was passed by, despite support from over 76 percent of Virginians in recent polls," said Lori Haas, mother of Tech shooting survivor Emily Haas.

"Backroom politics does not sit well with Virginia citizens, and we deserve better from our legislators."