Gov. Tim Kaine incurred the wrath of gun rights advocates when he vetoed two bills that would have relaxed concealed-carry laws. Now that he has signed legislation to expand the right of certain gun owners to carry hidden handguns, he’s under fire again.
The bill, signed Friday, will allow prosecutors and assistant prosecutors to carry a hidden firearm without the standard training or certification — which the Virginia Citizens Defense League said would create a “double standard” of state gun laws.
“It’s an expansion of gun rights for the government,” said Philip Van Cleave, the league’s president. “This really wasn’t something aimed at helping the general citizens.”
Kaine’s signature stands in contrast to his vetoes earlier this year of a bill that would have let a person keep a gun in a glove box without a concealed-carry permit, and another to allow someone to enter a bar or restaurant with a hidden firearm — if they had a permit and didn’t drink.
The new measure passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 2-1 margin in the House, where it was hotly debated. Opponents said it would put concealed weapons in the hands of young assistant commonwealth’s attorneys who have no competency in safely handling a firearm, while supporters argued it would allow the prosecutors to protect themselves from criminals seeking retribution.
Under existing law, prosecutors can carry concealed handguns only while conducting official duties.
“I believe prosecutors are the most law-abiding of the law-abiding,” said Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, one of the House’s staunchest gun control opponents who defended the measure. “I don’t believe that anyone should have to ask the government for a permit to carry a weapon in any way they see fit as long as they are not a criminal.”
But Gilbert said gun advocates have “the right to be upset with the governor’s logic,” when he vetoed the other pro-gun bills and approved this one.
Gordon Hickey, a spokesman for Kaine, noted the bill “passed with some significant support.”
“He didn’t see any reason to oppose it,” Hickey said.
