GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1362. This bill would allow any member of the Virginia National Guard, Armed Forces of the United States, or the United States Armed Forces Reserve to carry a concealed handgun in a nonduty status, provided he is carrying his military identification card.

All of us are grateful to the brave young men and women who serve the Commonwealth and the Nation in uniform. However, that service does not automatically qualify them for the responsibilities involved in carrying a concealed handgun, any more than it automatically qualifies them for a driver’s license.

The bill, which would apply both to Virginia residents and non-residents, constitutes an unwarranted expansion of persons allowed to carry concealed handguns that is unnecessary to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth. The bill would create a separate class of individuals who do not require a concealed handgun permit.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.