We mentioned earlier this week that the Virginia Senate would soon be voting on a bill that would enable domestic violence victims who take out a protective order to get immediate access to a concealed-carry permit. The Senate has now passed House Bill 1852 by a vote of 27-13.
This is an important piece of legislation as it will typically take up to 45 days after filing an application to receive the permit. For women whose lives are in danger, they simply don’t have those days to spare. Carol Bowne of New Jersey might still be alive today if the Garden State had adopted a similar law.
“The essence of this is that we want to empower people, especially women, who find themselves in a position where they are in fear of their lives, to be able to protect themselves in a manner that they see fit,” said Republican Delegate C. Todd Gilbert, sponsor of the bill.
HB 1852 now heads to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s desk. He vetoed similar legislation last year.
