West Virginia: Senate Passes Firearms Preemption Bill

Yesterday, February 25, there was major improvement and action on critical firearms preemption legislation when the West Virginia Senate passed Senate Bill 317 by a 32-0 vote.

SB 317, sponsored by state Senator John Unger (D-16), has been worked tirelessly through the committee process and has seen multiple committee substitutes which weakened the original intent of this legislation.

Your NRA has worked meticulously in Charleston with many state legislators over the past few days to craft a bill that would clarify, change and restrict the municipal regulation of your gun rights.  SB 317, as passed by the state Senate, would now do the following:

• Remove the “grandfathered” regulations in Charleston and other municipalities that allow regulations like a three-day “waiting period” on handguns and the purchase of one handgun a month.
• Eliminate the ability of municipalities to regulate the carrying of firearms in municipally-owned property that is rented out to private businesses such as those in Martinsburg.
• Limit those buildings a municipality may restrict and regulate the carrying of a firearm to itemized and specific locations like courthouses and city halls.
• Allow for the storage of firearms in personal vehicles on municipal property when locked and out of sight.

Your NRA thanks the sponsor of SB 317, state Senator John Unger (D-16), for his tireless dedication to preserving the long-awaited and much-needed uniform set of gun laws this bill would enforce.  Your NRA also thanks state Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-2) for his commitment to preserving the original intent of this bill as it worked its way through the legislative process in the state Senate.

SB 317 has now been sent to the House of Delegates where we expect it to be heard and considered before the 2014 legislative session ends next Saturday, March 8.  Please contact your Delegate(s) in support of SB 317.

Thank you to all of our members for their continued calls and e-mails in support of SB 317.  Please stay tuned to your e-mail inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates in the coming days.