GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 362, which relates to the purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following a misdemeanor conviction of assault and battery.

I join the patrons in their pursuit of condemning domestic abuse; it is unequivocally deplorable. Virginia should ensure that convicted domestic abusers are dealt with appropriately and those who resort to illegal firearm use, especially, should face severe and harsh punishments. To that end, Virginia already has mechanisms for disarming dangerous individuals, such as through protective orders.

Individuals convicted of felony assault and battery already automatically lose their firearm rights. This proposal, however, aims to extend the prohibition of firearm possession for misdemeanors beyond existing restrictions for family and household members. It would now encompass a vaguely defined category of intimate partners without an objective standard.

Additionally, changing the definition of family or household member has far-reaching effects, such as the jurisdiction of juvenile and domestic courts, petitions for relief of custody, and whom a court may prohibit contact with following a conviction for recruitment for criminal street gangs.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.