Kaine to Push Background Checks at Gun Shows

RICHMOND, Jan. 8 -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Tuesday that he will push the General Assembly to require all sellers to conduct background checks on those who want to purchase firearms at gun shows.

For years, gun-control advocates have tried unsuccessfully to close the so-called gun show loophole in Virginia. But they hope the issue will gain momentum in the first legislative session since an April rampage at Virginia Tech left 33 people dead, including the shooter.

"There is no reason for law-abiding gun owners to oppose a background check," Kaine (D) said. "Now more than ever in the aftermath of April 16th, Virginians understand that this is a public safety issue."

Kaine's announcement was the last in a series presenting his priorities for the 60-day legislative session that begins Wednesday.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which opposes the bill, said the governor was pushing background checks for political reasons and predicted that it will not pass.

"Criminals don't get guns at gun shows,'' he said. "It's not going to do anything about crime."

Kaine has supported background checks before, but he said this is the first year he will actively lobby for a change. Many Republican lawmakers remain opposed, as do some rural Democrats.

Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke), whose district includes Virginia Tech, said the campus shooting should lead to an overhaul of the mental health system, not a change in gun laws. "The issue here is one of mental health,'' he said.

Kaine announced his proposal at Virginia State Police headquarters, standing with about a dozen relatives of Virginia Tech victims.

"We need to do this so Virginia can be a safer place,'' said Cathy Read, whose stepdaughter Mary was killed by student gunman Seung Hui Cho in April.

In recent months, several families of Virginia Tech victims have taken positions in support of background checks for all gun purchases and against allowing guns on college campuses.

Mike White, a gun owner whose daughter Nicole was killed, called Kaine's proposal "a healthy compromise that will bring safety to our families."