NORFOLK, Va. - A rare piece of gun legislation with backing by the NRA and gun control groups is advancing through the General Assembly.
HB2387 would allow people to write off up to $300 in their state taxes for the purchase of gun safes or gun storage locks.
The bill has passed in both the House of Delegates and the Senate.
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"This bill is not about requiring people to do anything. It's not about banning anything. It's not taking away anything. It simply tries to give a tax credit to incentivize something that many law-abiding citizens already do," said Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), the bill's patron, during a sub-committee hearing in January.
During a hearing on the bill, both the NRA and gun control groups came out in support of the bill.
"I support the bill. This is a common sense measure. We encourage safe storage and we think this would go a long way," said Lori Haas, the Virginia Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
"This is certainly an initiative we have supported in other states. We're happy to support this one here as well," said D.J. Spiker from the NRA.
Similar tax credits have been passed in Michigan and Connecticut, according to Lopez. "Safe storage prevents gun thefts," he said.
At Bob's Gun Shop in Norfolk, several different types of safes are for sale. "I would say we encourage it. Based on the safety aspect, it's always good to have them locked up," said Steve Dowdy, owner of the shop.
Dowdy said he believes the bill is a positive step forward. "I think it's a great idea, whether it's a safe or any kind of safety mechanism to lock guns up. When you say common ground, everyone wants gun safety. They want to prevent gun accidents and prevent people from having them if they shouldn't have them," he said.
