Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Life-Saving Gun Violence Prevention Bills

Youngkin Vetoed Over 20 Common-Sense Bills the Commonwealth's Legislators Sent to His Desk.

Washington, D.C., March 27, 2024 – Yesterday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed more than 20 bills aimed at freeing the Commonwealth from gun violence. The bills would have banned assault weapons, required firearms to be stored in a locked container when a minor is in the home, and ensured access to justice for victims harmed by the dangerous, unlawful, or negligent business practices of gun industry dealers or manufacturers. Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, worked closely with legislators to champion these bills, and Brady’s Virginia chapters and Team ENOUGH youth volunteers advocated to get these bills passed and to the Governor’s desk.

Kris Brown, president of Brady said:

“As a Virginian, I am appalled that Gov. Youngkin has such a disregard for our health and safety that he would veto these evidence-based, proven life-saving measures. The bills he has killed would have, without question, saved lives and had the potential to bring us closer to a future free from gun violence.

Virginia deserves better than a governor who will put the will of the gun industry above the well-being of the people he serves. Virginians came out in droves at the polls to support these bills, including bills to require that firearms are safely stored, ban assault weapons, and ensure that victims and survivors of gun violence have access to justice and can hold the gun industry responsible for negligent, unsafe business practices, and the legislature listened.

It is devastating that this momentum was killed on Youngkin’s desk, but our resolve to end gun violence is not. Youngkin won’t be in the Governor's Mansion forever, but we will always be committed to fighting for common-sense legislation until we end this epidemic once and for all.”