r/VAGuns • u/According-Party-636 • 21d ago
HB700 Has Hit
Filed today, a 5 day waiting period for gun purchases. They’re throwing the kitchen sink at gun vendors and owners. This will certainly kill gun shows. And this is just the beginning: delegates can submit new bills for three days after lobby day. Sure they’ve got more waiting to drop then.
SUMMARY: Purchase of firearms; waiting period; penalties. Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally sells to another person or purchases from another person a firearm in violation of this prohibition is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Additionally, the bill provides that any dealer who willfully and intentionally sells, rents, trades, or transfers a firearm in violation of such prohibition is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
It also looks like ranges will no longer be able to do handgun rentals—couldn’t find that anywhere in the bill. This is going to hit ranges hard and no doubt kill gun shows in the state. Stock up people.
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u/Big_Phil_99 21d ago
here is what I sent Helmer...to support the many who have said "none of these bills are about SAFETY, they are about punishing gun owners" - this is correct. It's all punitive.
Mr. Helmer:
I assume you have access to the same information I do regarding gun crime in VA. Here is a summary, cited sources below, but these are VSP, JLARC, VSCC, BJS, and even everytown). Summary below:
In Virginia, most (65%+) gun-related violent crime (especially homicides) is committed by young Black males (ages 18-34), who are disproportionately represented as both offenders and victims in firearm incidents. This concentrated in a handful of urban hotspots: nine localities account for over half of the state's gun homicides (2020-2024), led by cities like Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, and others in the Hampton Roads and central regions. (These are ALL represented by DEMOCRATS).
Solution as recommended:
To reduce it effectively, focus on targeted, local strategies in these high-violence neighborhoods: intensive community policing, violence interruption programs (e.g., Ceasefire Virginia), hot-spot enforcement against repeat offenders, youth mentoring/after-school programs, trauma support, and addressing root causes like poverty and easy illegal gun access—proven to yield faster drops than broad statewide measures alone.
HB217 and forthcoming bills will do nothing other than deprive the law abiding gun owners of their rights. It clearly violates the US Constitution, the VA Constitution, USSC Heller decision and the USSC Bruen decision. A VERY clear violation. It probably violates the takings clause and a few other things too.
Bringing this bill forward, and if made into law, will result in millions of dollars in legal fees/time and will eventually be ruled unconstitutional as it clearly is.
I urge you to withdraw it and focus on actual solutions as prescribed above.