Advocates for gun violence prevention are at the Capitol and demanding action.
"If you are so called, please the names of your loved ones or anyone that has been stolen by gun violence, you can say it now... Thank you. We can never forget that."
That's Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action kicking off a rally for gun violence prevention.
"I am so proud to say that 20%, y'all, 20% of Virginia's General Assembly, they are former Moms Demand Action volunteers. 20%! That's right," Ferrell-Zabala says. "These are people who started exactly where so many of you are here today, organizing locally to make their community a little safer."
The list of volunteers includes Governor Abigail Spanberger, who got her start in politics as a Moms Demand Action volunteer. Another prominent supporter is Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi.
"And I support the ban on assault weapons, which we know are weapons designed for war to maximize harm. They're not meant to be in the hands of civilians," Hashmi says. "These are common sense policies that save lives and that reflect the will of the people that we serve."
Other legislation includes bills cracking down on ghost guns, enhancing background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of people convicted of domestic violence.
Reporting from Capitol Square in Richmond, I'm Michael Pope.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
