Gun Control

Do local governments across Virginia have zoning authority to tell gun stores where they can be located and, maybe more importantly, where they can’t be located?

City leaders in Roanoke got fed up with gun-related crimes in parts of the city. That prompted them to create a task force to research ways to address gun violence.

Gun violence was in the headlines again this week after the State Crime Commission met to discuss the topic. And it’s not just mass shootings. As one expert testified, its the slow and steady grind of suicides and homicides. 

Last year almost 800 people in Virginia went to the emergency room because of a gunshot wound. While they survived, a thousand more didn’t. This story is a remembrance of one young victim. 

Virginia’s State Crime Commission heard hours of public testimony Tuesday, all on gun violence. Many of the comments fell along expected lines, but there is one emerging point of consensus. 

Are Republicans in Virginia on the verge of moving their position on gun control?