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Terry McAuliffe on Gun Control
Democratic nominee for Governor; previously DNC Chair
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Supports universal background checks
Yesterday, Governor-elect Northam and I stood together and outlined several pieces of legislation that we hope the new General Assembly will pass this year. They include:- Keeping families safe from gun violence by requiring background
checks for every firearm purchase.
- Finally raising the threshold for felony larceny from $200 to $1000 so that one mistake does not ruin a person's entire life.
- Cut carbon and create clean energy jobs
Source: 2018 Virginia State of the State address
, Jan 10, 2018
Keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers
Last year we worked together on a historic bipartisan package to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and people who cannot pass background checks.
The legislation we passed included the first meaningful restrictions on dangerous gun ownership in a generation, and showed the rest of the world that common sense compromise on this issue is possible.
This year, we have an opportunity to strengthen the domestic violence protection law, which is already the toughest in the nation, by expanding it to include non-family abuse orders as well as permanent protective orders.
This change would keep more Virginians safe from gun crime. Additionally, let's make 2017 the year we make universal background checks for firearm sales the policy of our Commonwealth.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Virginia Legislature
, Jan 11, 2017
Restore the one handgun a month law
We can no longer stand by as our fellow Virginians are lost to preventable and senseless acts of gun violence. As a gun owner myself, I fully believe that law-abiding citizens have a right to responsibly own and carry firearms. But as we have learned
from far too many tragedies here and across the country, there is a difference between responsible gun owners and those who violate the law or are likely to use firearms in a manner that endangers lives.I have proposed several common sense bills aimed
at keeping Virginians safe from gun violence without infringing on the rights of responsible, law abiding citizens. These proposals will keep guns out of dangerous hands by
- closing the gun show loophole;
- preventing violent criminals and
domestic abusers from obtaining fire arms;
- revoking concealed carry permits from those who do not meet their legal obligation to pay child support; and
- curtailing gun trafficking by restoring the one handgun a month law.
Source: State of the State address to 2015 Virginia Legislature
, Jan 14, 2015
Brady Bill was the right thing to do
Clinton went over how the NRA, the rich and powerful gun lobby, had defeated about a dozen of our members who had voted for the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban. The NRA pumped more than $70 million into targeting Democrats and even bragged about how
much money they'd spent. The Brady Bill was named for Jim Brady, Reagan's spokesman, who was seriously wounded when Reagan was shot, and his wife Sarah campaigned for that bill for 10 years before it finally passed. That vote was the right thing to do.
Source: What A Party!, by Terry McAuliffe, p.100
, Jan 23, 2007
1983: On first hunting trip, show a turkey buzzard
There ended up being 20 of us ready to spend 3 days hunting turkey and quail.Understand, coming from Syracuse, the only turkeys I'd ever seen were the kind you unfold like an accordion and put down in the middle of your Thanksgiving dinner table.
I'd never even held a gun, much less gone hunting. So, that 1st morning, we were out of bed before 5 AM, and the 1st thing I knew, they'd thrown a shotgun in my hands. I liked the feel of that shotgun in my hands, but I had one small problem
How was I going to load the thing? I had no idea.
Before long there were birds flying all around me. I pointed my shotgun and pulled the trigger and BLAM!! The black bird with the big red head didn't have a chance.
I got me a turkey!
I got me a turkey! I started yelling.
But something was up. The laughter was going on too long.
Finally someone told me the truth: I'd shot a turkey BUZZARD, which is a vulture, not a turkey.
I was hooked on hunting after my 1st weekend.
Source: What A Party!, by Terry McAuliffe, p. 64-67
, Jan 23, 2007
Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology.
McAuliffe adopted the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":
Make America the “Safest Big Country” in the World
After climbing relentlessly for three decades, crime rates started to fall in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the public remains deeply concerned about the prevalence of gun violence, especially among juveniles, and Americans still avoid public spaces like downtown retail areas, parks, and even sports facilities.
We need to keep policing “smart” and community-friendly, prohibiting unjust and counterproductive tactics such as racial profiling; focus on preventing as well as punishing crime; pay attention to what happens to inmates and their families after sentencing; use mandatory testing and treatment to break the cycle of drugs and crime; and enforce and strengthen laws against unsafe or illegal guns. Moreover, we need a renewed commitment to equal justice for all, and we must reject a false choice between justice and safety.
Technology can help in many areas: giving police more information on criminal
suspects so they do not rely on slipshod, random stop-and-search methods; allowing lower-cost supervision of people on probation or parole; and making it possible to disable and/or trace guns used by unauthorized persons.
Above all, we need to remember that public safety is the ultimate goal of crime policy. Until Americans feel safe enough to walk their neighborhood streets, enjoy public spaces, and send their children to school without fear of violence, we have not achieved public safety.
Goals for 2010 - Reduce violent crime rates another 25 percent.
- Cut the rate of repeat offenses in half.
- Develop and require “smart gun” technology to prevent use of firearms by unauthorized persons and implement sensible gun control measures.
- Ban racial profiling by police but encourage criminal targeting through better information on actual suspects.
- Require in-prison and post-prison drug testing and treatment of all drug offenders.
Source: The Hyde Park Declaration 00-DLC11 on Aug 1, 2000
Page last updated: Dec 19, 2020
