RICHMOND, Va. – Senator Tim Kaine is calling on lawmakers to take action to prevent gun violence.
In an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Kaine wrote,
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"Following the tragic Virginia Beach shooting, a Charlottesville elementary school teacher told me she wants legislators to experience a school lockdown drill to convince them to act to prevent gun violence. As part of the drill, she takes her students to the restroom and stands against the door so if shots are fired, the bullets would hit her before the children. She also keeps a file cabinet by the classroom’s front door so she can knock it over to block an active shooter from entering the room.
"Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear like this. On July 9, Virginia has an opportunity to make our communities safer. There’s no single solution that will stop all shootings, and some say we can't completely fix the issue so we shouldn’t do anything at all. I couldn't disagree more. We didn’t completely eliminate auto deaths by requiring seatbelts and airbags, but we saved countless lives. There are meaningful steps we can and must take — like universal background checks and magazine limits — to help prevent more Virginians from experiencing the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one. I hope lawmakers will come together this month to pass commonsense reforms to reduce gun violence."
The General Assembly will reconvene in Special Session on Tuesday, July 9th.