Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 25, 1993 TAG: 9302250244
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARGARET EDDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
GUN BILL NEARS APPROVAL
The General Assembly is one vote away from approving limits on handgun sales, but the bill that members seem poised to approve picked up a new loophole Wednesday that drew furious objection from leading gun-control advocates.After lengthy and sometimes confused debate, the House of Delegates voted 57-39 for a compromise bill that generally limits gun sales to one per month, but would allow exceptions for "lawful business and personal use."
Earlier, identical language was approved by the Senate 33-6, setting the stage for final passage today if the Senate agrees to a single amendment added on the House floor.
That amendment - which permits unlimited sales by individuals and regulates only licensed dealers - was ripped by gun-control advocates.
"It totally undermines the whole premise of what we have agreed to do," said David Weaver, a lobbyist for Handgun Control Inc. "A slim majority in the House has seemed to take leave of their senses."
Gov. Douglas Wilder also signaled his disapproval of the loophole for private gun sales, while applauding the overall move toward sales limits.
"Virginians can hold their heads high knowing that they have taken a positive step toward stopping the spread of violence in the state and around the nation," Wilder said in a statement released by his office.
Wilder has worked to stem the state's burgeoning reputation as a haven for East Coast gunrunners. The issue has dominated the 1993 assembly and many believe Wilder hopes to make passage of handgun limits the crowning achievement of a sometimes star-crossed administration.
But others who had fought for an even tougher limit on gun sales, including House Speaker Thomas Moss and Del. William Robinson, both Norfolk Democrats, were disappointed that Wilder cut a deal with suburban Republicans to produce the less restrictive bill.
"Why call it a gun-a-month bill? It's not," said Moss, who had worked feverishly for the last week to switch votes. The "business and personal use" exemption is "so big they can pass a tractor truck through it," but is better than nothing, he said.
"It may work, it may not," said Robinson, who introduced the gun-sales limit last year. "I just know that the original bill would have worked."
The "private sale" exemption was greeted even less charitably by House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, who opposes any limits on handgun sales. The amendment would spawn "a cottage industry" of individuals trying to sidestep gun limits, he said.
Chuck Cunningham, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, disagreed. He said law enforcement officials would never be able to enforce a law barring individuals from selling multiple guns to their friends. The amendment, proposed by Del. Andy Guest, R-Front Royal, makes a "less bad bill," he said.
The NRA opposes both the handgun plan backed by Moss and the compromise bill approved Wednesday.
Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, a key player in fashioning the Wilder-GOP compromise, said the bill was not originally intended to affect private sales. He will recommend today that the Senate accept the House amendment and pass it to Wilder for his signature.
If Wilder is unhappy with the amendment, he has several ways to kill it, Stolle said, including asking the assembly to remove it during the veto session in April.
Wilder's office left little doubt about his disapproval. The Guest amendment "was never part of the compromise and we don't anticipate it being part of any final bill," said Lisa Katz, a Wilder spokeswoman.
Earlier in the session, a combination of urban Democrats and suburban Republicans pushed the tougher bill favored by Moss through the House. But in Wednesday's vote, the GOP stuck with the compromise and Democrats were faced with a choice: either vote for the less restrictive bill or risk losing any gun-control measure.
Backers of the tougher bill split over that choice, with some willing to take the risk in hopes of getting a tougher measure out of a conference committee and others unwilling to take the chance.
Del. Clinton Miller, R-Woodstock, the only rural Republican outspoken on behalf of gun limits, urged the riskier approach. "If Virginia will act on this legislation this year, it will send a message to the whole nation," he said.
But Del. Glenn Croshaw, D-Virginia Beach, urged caution. "I think this is a weaker bill, but it is a stronger bill than no bill. And it sends the message that we've begun the fight in Virginia against gunrunning," he said.