Virginia Repeals Gun-a-Month Limit

Virginia has killed off a law enacted in 1993 to tackle gun-running. GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed a measure repealing a law that restricts residents to one handgun purchase a month, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Before signing, McDonnell spoke to the families of victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, who had hoped to persuade him to veto the bill—one of many pro-gun measures before state lawmakers.

Legislators "have not learned a damn thing," complained the chief of Virginia's Center for Public Safety, alluding to this week's school shooting in Ohio. "Here we are watching kids dying in other states, and we're going to be a purveyor of firearms for other states." One of the measure's sponsors argued that the gun-a-month law was ineffective, and had been "overtaken by technology and improved background checks." A poll taken earlier this month found that 66% of Virginians opposed repealing the law. (More Virginia stories.)