NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are debating legislation aimed at keeping firearms out of children's hands as well as preventing them from being stolen out of attended vehicles, but it's receiving pushback from pro-gun rights groups.
The bill says people can't leave guns in their cars in the glovebox—unless the glovebox is specifically made to store guns.
According to a report by Everytown for Gun Safety, a pro-gun control group, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton are among the top 25 cities in the nation with the highest rates of guns being stolen from cars.
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Their findings are based on FBI data and underscores a serious issue in Hampton Roads. "It's hugely irresponsible to leave guns in cars; it's terribly irresponsible," Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi told News 3 last year.
The proposed bill in the Virginia General Assembly seeks to keep loaded guns out of children's hands while also requiring that firearms be locked away in cars when vehicles are unattended.
"We want to make sure that those firearms stored within your vehicles are designed to hold a firearm," said Del. Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach).
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However, proponents of Second Amendment rights have criticized the legislation as being overly broad.
If it's out of sight and in the car itself is locked, then what's wrong with that?" said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. "You're trying to make a one-size-fits-all policy, and that just doesn't work."
Still, Feggans notes that some cars are being manufactured specifically to store firearms safely.
"We're working towards making sure that firearms that are left unattended in vehicles have proper ways that if they're broken into, that it would deter someone from stealing them," the he said.
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The bill has already passed in the House of Delegates and is now under consideration in the Senate.
If approved, it would head to Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has vetoed numerous gun bills over the years. "We will go to the governor and ask him to veto it," said Van Cleave.
"When you're looking at a lot of glove boxes, it might not be the best method to store it in," said Feggans.
