Attending a pro-Second Amendment rally outside Virginia’s state capitol on Monday, Grayson County Sheriff Richard Vaughan said he will not be enforcing unconstitutional gun control laws.
“Grayson County Virginia Sheriff Richard Vaughan is here with his deputies. He said he won’t enforce stricter gun laws,” The Virginian-Pilot’s Alissa Skelton reported. “We are here to stand up for the Second Amendment, he said.”
“Many people are shaking his hand and thanking him,” noted Skelton.
“If the bills go through as proposed, they will not be enforced,” Mr. Vaughan said on camera. “They’re unconstitutional. We swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Virginia, and that’s what we’ll do.”
WATCH:
This is Sheriff Richard Vaughan of Grayson County, VA. “If the bills go through as proposed, they will not be enforced. They are unconstitutional.” This is not true, according to the Exec. Dir. of the VA Assoc. of Chiefs of Police… #Richmond2ARally pic.twitter.com/mjpQupE6of
— Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) January 20, 2020
As noted by The Daily Wire on Monday morning, tens of thousands of pro-Second Amendment Americans gathered outside Virginia’s capitol to express opposition to a spate of gun control bills pushed through by the commonwealth’s Democrat-majority state legislature and backed by controversial Democratic Governor Ralph Northam.
Gun rights rally at Virginia State Capital to protest newly proposed gun control laws.
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) January 20, 2020
Protesters gathered in the wake of three controversial gun control bills passing the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate last week. “The three bills that made it through include a law that will allow local authorities to ban weapons from public spaces during some events, another that limits handgun purchases to one a month, and a law requiring background checks for all firearm purchases,” The Daily Wire reported.
“The good guys won’t have the guns,” argued Republican Sen. Amanda Chase (Chesterfield). “They won’t be able to protect themselves, and we’re basically creating a disastrous situation in which criminals will not follow the law, and it will only hurt and create victims.”
As outlined by The Daily Wire, here are the three gun laws sparking the protests:
- Senate Bill 35: Authorizes any locality to prohibit the possession of firearms and ammunition in public spaces during permitted events or events that would otherwise require a permit. Introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon.
- SB 69: Prohibits anyone who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period, making the offense a Class 1 misdemeanor. Exempts those with valid Virginia concealed handgun permits and those replacing a lost or stolen handgun, as well as law enforcement agencies, state and local correctional facilities, private security companies and those with special circumstances with a background check from Virginia State Police. Also exempts purchases made during a private sale for a personal collection of rare or historical items. Introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton.
- SB 70: Requires background checks for any firearm transfer and directs State Police to set up a process for obtaining such a check from a licensed firearms dealer. Anyone who sells a firearm without a background check is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and the person who receives the firearm is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Exempts transfers between immediate family members and by estate administrators, as well as transfers during lawful activities at shooting ranges or similar spaces designed for target practice. It also exempts temporary transfers that occur while the owner is present or are necessary to prevent death or bodily harm. Additionally, it allows transfers of antique firearms, transfers that are part of a buy-back or give-back program and those that occur by operation of law. Introduced by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.