Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 27, 1993 TAG: 9301270268
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARGARET EDDS/ STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
GOP GUN-LIMIT PLAN COULD KILL WILDER'S
Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that could scuttle Gov. Douglas Wilder's proposal to limit handgun purchases to one a month.But their alternative also strengthens the likelihood that some controls on handgun purchases will be approved by the General Assembly this year.
GOP bills in both the House and Senate would set no limit on handgun purchases, but would require anyone wanting to buy more than one handgun in a 30-day period to obtain a "certificate of residency and identity" from local police.
The proposal - which supporters argue would reduce gun trafficking without restricting the rights of legitimate buyers - has the support of all 18 Republican senators and an undetermined number of GOP delegates.
If the GOP senators refuse as a bloc to endorse Wilder's stricter proposal, its chances of passage are virtually nil. Enough rural Democrats are likely to vote against Wilder's idea to deny him a victory in the 40-member body unless he can pick up Republican votes.
What remains uncertain is whether some senators might back Wilder even though they signed on to the GOP bill. A few Republican delegates interviewed Tuesday acknowledged that they'll continue to support the one-a-month limit.
"That's a good fallback position," said Del. Clinton Miller, R-Woodstock, of the Republican proposal. His preference remains a one-a-month limit, said Miller, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.
Under the GOP alternative, certificates allowing multiple purchases would be issued on the spot if state residency and identity were proven. The House bill spells out acceptable forms of proof of identity - including a Social Security card, a paycheck stub or a military ID card.
To establish residency, the purchaser would need to provide two items from a list including utility bills, auto or life insurance policies, bank account records, filed tax forms or a voter registration card.
"What we're after is to find something that works and allows people to conduct normal business," said Del. Steven Agee, R-Salem, the chief House sponsor. "Criminals aren't going to go to the police station and tell police" they want to buy multiple weapons, he said.
Secretary of Public Safety O. Randolph Rollins, who is spearheading Wilder's gun-control lobbying, said the administration is concerned that the GOP bills put no limits on either the number of purchases or the number of certificates one person could get.