APNewsBreak: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says he'll call special session of legislature to take up gun-control measures

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — APNewsBreak: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says he'll call special session of legislature to take up gun-control measures. </s> VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — The Latest on plans by Virginia's governor to call a special legislative session on gun control (all times local):

A top gun rights advocate in Virginia says Gov. Ralph Northam's plan for a special legislative session on gun control is "political theater."

Philip Van Cleave is president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. He says he "can't think of a single gun control thing that would have prevented what happened at Virginia Beach," and accuses the governor of "trying to deflect from his recent foibles."

The gun lobbyist said it's "pure baloney" that silencers mask sound of gun shots.

His solution to Friday's killings of 12 people would be loosening restrictions on Virginia Beach city employees from being able to carry concealed handguns at work. He says "there's really nothing other than allowing people to protect themselves until the police get there that would have worked."

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will recall lawmakers to the state Capitol in coming weeks to take up a package of gun-control legislation.

Northam told The Associated Press ahead of his Tuesday announcement that he plans to convene a special legislative session later this summer. The Democrat said new laws are urgently needed to prevent killings like Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

Police said a Virginia Beach city employee used two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammo magazines to kill 12 people. Northam's proposed legislation would ban silencers and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

The Democratic governor has long been an advocate for stricter gun control. But staunchly pro-gun Republicans who controlled the Virginia General Assembly have rejected previous efforts at limiting gun access. </s> RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam called a special session of the state legislature to take up gun-control measures in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

“I will summon the members of the Senate and the House of Delegates to meet in special session for the purpose of passing common sense public safety laws,” Northam said at a press conference Tuesday.

He added, “I will be asking for votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers.”

Twelve people were killed in an attack at a Virginia Beach city building after a gunman, who was a former employee, opened fire Friday afternoon. Law enforcement officers found two .45-caliber pistols legally purchased by the shooter at the scene — one pistol had a suppressor and several empty extended magazines, police said.

Northam said “this weekend’s tragedy” must “instill in us a new level of urgency to act.”

“If we can save one life because we acted now, it is worth it,” he argued.

Back in January, Northam introduced a slate of gun control bills ahead of the start of the year’s legislative session, including a universal background checks bill, a ban on assault firearms, and an “extreme risk protective order.”

Northam said Tuesday he will propose many of the same ideas he pushed in January. </s> Citing the shooting in Virginia Beach in which 12 people were killed, “as well as the tragedies that happen every day across Virginia,” Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday called for a special session of the General Assembly to vote on gun control bills.

He listed a number of measures he intended to propose, including universal background checks and a requirement that people report lost or stolen firearms. Those ideas were floated in the past but died in committee before reaching the floor of the Legislature.

This time, the governor said, he was demanding that the measures be “put to a vote by the entire General Assembly.”

On Friday, a city engineer who had resigned earlier that day stormed the Virginia Beach municipal complex and killed 11 of his former colleagues, along with a contractor who was seeing about a permit. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police officers. </s> VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will recall lawmakers to the state Capitol in coming weeks to take up a package of gun-control legislation.

Northam told The Associated Press ahead of his Tuesday announcement that he plans to convene a special legislative session later this summer. The Democrat said new laws are urgently needed to prevent killings like Friday’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

Police said a Virginia Beach city employee used two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammo magazines to kill 12 people. Northam’s proposed legislation would ban silencers and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

The Democratic governor has long been an advocate for stricter gun control. But staunchly pro-gun Republicans who controlled the Virginia General Assembly have rejected previous efforts at limiting gun access. </s> Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks to mourners during a vigil for the victims of a shooting in Virginia Beach on June 2, 2019.

Eric Baradat / AFP - Getty Images </s> 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.

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.

Virginia law doesn't give a governor any say in how a special session is conducted. While GOP Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment indicated Monday that there's some willingness to debate whether to ban large-capacity magazines, according to the Virginia Gazette, he told gun-control advocates outside his office on Monday that "nothing would have helped us in Virginia Beach."

Craddock appeared to have had no felony record, making him eligible to purchase guns. Government investigators identified two .45-caliber pistols used in the attack and all indications are that he purchased them legally in 2016 and 2018, said Ashan Benedict, the regional special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Friday's shooting has been Northam's first major test since a scandal over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook nearly drove him from office four months ago. The governor has been active in helping coordinate the state's response and comforting victims, while also pressing the case for stricter gun control.

A top gun rights advocate denounced the special session as "political theater," and called it "pure baloney" that silencers mask the sound of gun shots. Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said "there's really nothing other than allowing people to protect themselves until the police get there that would have worked."

In his AP interview, the governor flatly denied that he's "playing politics."

"I'm bringing people to the special session to save lives," Northam said. </s> VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday that he'll recall lawmakers to the state Capitol in the coming weeks to take up a package of gun-control legislation, which he said is urgently needed to prevent killings like Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

Northam said he plans to convene a special legislative session this summer.

The Democrat said in an Associated Press interview ahead of his announcement that he wants the Republican-controlled General Assembly to hear from the public about the need for "common-sense" law related to guns and accessories.

Republicans have previously rejected Northam's gun control bills out of hand, but a top GOP lawmaker signaled Monday that he's open to a legislative debate.

Northam's announcement comes less than a week after Virginia Beach city employee DeWayne Craddock used two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammunition magazines to kill 12 people, all but one them colleagues he had worked with for years, and injure several others. Craddock was then killed in an intense gunbattle with police during which a bullet hit one officer in a bulletproof vest.

Northam's package of bills includes legislation that directly relates to Friday's shooting __ including 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 Northam 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 said. "Every one of these pieces of legislation will save lives."

Other proposals Northam said he wants lawmakers to vote on include 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 at the General Assembly, including this year. Republicans hold slim majorities in the House and Senate and Virginia is in the middle of a closely watched election year when all 140 legislative seats are up for grabs.

Under Virginia law, the governor can call a special session but has no say in how it's conducted. But GOP Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment indicated Monday that there's some willingness to debate whether to ban large-capacity magazines, according to the Virginia Gazette.

A group of gun-control supporters gathered Monday outside Norment's office to press him on his pro-gun voting record. Norment told protesters that "nothing would have helped us in Virginia Beach."

Craddock appeared to have had no felony record, making him eligible to purchase guns. Government investigators identified two .45-caliber pistols used in the attack and all indications are that he purchased them legally in 2016 and 2018, said Ashan Benedict, the regional special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Friday's shooting has been Northam's first major test since a scandal over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook nearly drove him from office four months ago. The governor has been active in helping coordinate the state's response and comforting victims, while also pressing the case for stricter gun control.

Northam hinted Saturday in news interviews that he may be considering some kind of executive action related to gun control efforts that would bypass the legislature, but his office declined to say what specific actions he may take.

Republicans did not immediately comment on Northam's plans for a special session, but some of Northam's opponents have said the governor is trying to use Friday's shooting to deflect attention from his own troubles.

A top gun rights advocate in Virginia denounced the special session as "political theater," and called it "pure baloney" that silencers mask the sound of gun shots. Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said "there's really nothing other than allowing people to protect themselves until the police get there that would have worked."

In his AP interview, the governor flatly denied that he's "playing politics."

"I'm bringing people to the special session to save lives," Northam said. </s> RICHMOND, Va. -- In the wake of Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced a special session of the Virginia General Assembly to address gun violence and Virginia's gun laws.

"We must do more than give our thoughts and prayers. We must give Virginians the action they deserve," the governor, flanked by fellow Democratic leaders, said during the Tuesday morning press conference. "No one should go to work, to school, or to church wondering if they will come home."

During the special session, the date of which has not yet been announced, the governor planned to reintroduce many of the gun laws he tried to pass earlier this year.

Universal background checks

 A ban on assault weapons, to include suppressors and bump stocks;

 An extreme risk protective order

 Reinstating the one-gun-a-month law

 Child access prevention

 Requiring people to report lost and stolen firearms

 Expanding local authority to regulate firearms, including in government buildings.

The governor urged Virginia lawmakers to allow the proposed gun laws to go before the entire General Assembly for a vote and not kill them in a small subcommittees.

"Business as usual, with leadership shielding most of their members from taking tough votes by setting early morning hearings before small subcommittees, won't cut it. Virginians deserve leadership, and they will be watching. The nation will be watching," he said. "I will be asking for votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers."

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox (R - Colonial Heights) called the governor's call for a special session both "hasty and suspect."

"While the Governor can call a special session, he cannot specify what the General Assembly chooses to consider or how we do our work," Speaker Cox said. "We intend to use that time to take productive steps to address gun violence by holding criminals accountable with tougher sentences -- including mandatory minimums.

"Following the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007 and 2017’s shooting in Parkland, Florida, Virginia took a very deliberative approach that ultimately ended in substantive and bipartisan reforms to keep our communities safer. The governor’s call to Special Session is more likely to inflame political tensions than produce substantive public policy changes that will keep people safe.

“We believe addressing gun violence starts with holding criminals accountable for their actions, not infringing on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

"When the Special Session convenes, Republicans will put forward a package of legislation to stiffen penalties for those who use firearms to commit crimes, including mandatory minimum sentences. These steps, combined with our ongoing efforts to strengthen the mental and behavioral health system, are the best ways to keep our communities safe from those who commit violence with guns.

"The House of Delegates will convene upon the Governor’s call as constitutionally required and work within the rules we adopt and the regular legislative process to consider any matter before us. Our actions will be based on sound public policy and the best interests of the Commonwealth.”
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is expected to call a special session on gun control following the deadly shooting Friday afternoon in Virginia Beach that killed 12 people plus the shooter.