01/24/2007

By LARRY O'DELL  / Associated Press

A Senate committee on Wednesday killed legislation to require private sellers at gun shows to obtain a criminal background check on buyers.

The Courts of Justice committee voted 9-4 to reject the measure, marking the fifth consecutive year that lawmakers have refused to close the so-called gun show loophole.

Under current law, licensed dealers are required to run background checks on buyers at gun shows but unlicensed dealers — typically individuals selling guns from their personal collection — aren't.

The bill sponsored by Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, R-Fairfax, would have required unlicensed sellers to run a background check through a licensed dealer before completing a sale. Davis said the bill would help prevent the sale of guns to criminals.

Davis acknowledged that most gun show customers are law-abiding citizens but added that "clearly a lot of criminals also go to gun shows to procure firearms." The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has reported that gun shows are the second-leading source of guns used in crimes, behind only unscrupulous licensed dealers, Davis said.

Jim Sollo, vice president of Virginians Against Handgun Violence, spoke in support of the bill, reminding the committee that the guns used in the Columbine High School massacre had been sold by an unlicensed dealer at a Colorado gun show.

But Jim Kadison of the Virginia Citizens Defense League said the bill is unnecessary and burdensome.

"It does restrict the freedom of these small, independent sellers," he said.

Davis had hoped that numerous school shootings last year and a shooting spree outside a northern Virginia police station that killed two officers would improve the bill's chances of passage this year. However, the vote was identical to last year's committee vote on the measure.