Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia vetoed a bill he said would end “common-sense” gun restrictions, and which would reverse parts of the governor’s executive order banning firearms in and around Virginia’s executive branch office buildings. Currently, state workers who are not required to have a weapon for their job are barred from carrying one on state premises or when conducting state business.
The veto occurs a month after McAuliffe signed bipartisan gun legislation he said would make Virginia “safer” by restoring and expanding concealed-carry reciprocity with other states. The Roanoke Times quoted Matthew Moran, a spokesman for House Speaker Bill Howell, as saying, “The speaker is very pleased by the governor’s support for NRA-backed legislation to create universal concealed-carry reciprocity despite fierce opposition from anti-gun rights advocates.”
The earlier deal frustrated a Michael Bloomberg-backed campaign that had lavished millions on McAuliffe and Democratic candidates in an unsuccessful attempt to take control of the state Senate.
