A protective order is only a piece of paper.
Via Guns:
Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) gave thumbs down Thursday to three pieces of legislation he said would threaten public safety by weakening Virginia’s gun laws.
Among the proposals scuttled, two, SB 626 and HB 766, would have enabled domestic violence victims with a protective order against another individual to carry a concealed handgun for up to 90 days without a permit, while the third, HB 560, would have eased the Commonwealth’s law on the accidental display of a weapon.
In a veto message to lawmakers, McAuliffe held up a compromise deal he made with state Republicans in February which included taking guns away from domestic abusers as reason to veto the new legislation seeking to speed up the process to allow victims to carry a legal firearm.
“Domestic violence situations can be extremely volatile, and all too often result in serious injury or death,” said McAuliffe. “Senate Bill 626 (and House Bill 766) encourages victims of domestic violence to introduce deadly weapons into an already dangerous situation, an approach that I believe could have significant negative public safety consequences.”
Backers of the proposal felt allowing the option for a protective order to be used temporarily in lieu of a concealed carry permit felt just the opposite.
“It’s at that moment of crisis where you’ve had this protective order issued where the danger really lies, so at that moment somebody really shouldn’t have to wait in line at the courthouse to protect themselves,” said the House bill’s sponsor, Republican Del. Todd Gilbert, a former prosecutor.