Virginia governor calls special session on gun-control issues

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is summoning lawmakers back to the state Capitol to consider a package of gun-control legislation, saying Friday’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach calls for “votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers.”

Northam also said Tuesday that he wants every state lawmaker go on record for or against his proposals during the special session this summer, rather than let leaders shield them from tough votes by killing them subcommittees.

“I ask that the members of the General Assembly engage in an open and transparent debate and that the bills brought before the legislature are put to a vote by the entire General Assembly,” Northam said. “The nation will be watching.”

The Democrat said in an Associated Press interview ahead of his announcement that he wants the Republican-controlled legislature to hear from the public about the need for “common-sense” laws. A top GOP lawmaker signaled Monday that he’s open to a legislative debate, but doesn’t expect Northam’s bills to pass.

Speaking to a standing ovation from gun control advocates, state workers and elected officials, Northam said the massacre in Virginia Beach demands that lawmakers put saving lives before party doctrine.

“Our first responders knew what to do. They rushed to the sound of the gunfire. They responded in less than two minutes to the shooting. Our first responders acted to save lives, and indeed, they did save lives. Now, I’m calling on the elected officials of this commonwealth to become second responders. Your duty is clear: rush to the scene and put a stop to this violence,” he said.

“Show Virginians that it doesn’t matter what party you are in, we all our Virginians first, and we care about the safety and security of every Virginian no matter who they are or where they live,” he added.

12 people killed

Virginia Beach city employee DeWayne Craddock used two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammunition magazines on Friday to kill 12 people, all but one them colleagues he had worked with for years. Craddock was mortally wounded in an intense gunbattle with police.

Northam’s bills include legislation that directly relates to Friday’s shooting, such as a ban on silencers and high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as broadening the ability of local governments to limit guns in city buildings. But he said other recent shootings, including the death last month of a 9-year-old girl who was shot at a community cookout in Richmond, are also driving his call for a special session.

“It’s an emergency here in Virginia, and it’s time to take action,” Northam told the AP. “Every one of these pieces of legislation will save lives.”

Northam said he also wants votes on mandating universal background checks before gun purchases, limiting purchases to one handgun per month and a so-called red flag bill that would allow authorities to temporarily seize someone’s guns if they are a shown to be threat to themselves or others.

The governor has long advocated for stricter gun control. He made the issue a top priority of his 2017 gubernatorial campaign, drawing from his experience as a pediatrician and Army doctor who has treated children and soldiers wounded by firearms.

Most of the legislation already proposed by Northam and other Democrats has failed in Virginia, where Republicans hold slim majorities in the House and Senate. This is a closely watched election year in the state, when all 140 legislative seats are up for grabs.