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Gov. Terry McAuliffe has issued his first veto, on a measure that sought to clarify state law on storing guns in vehicles.

House Bill 962, sponsored by Del. Benjamin L. Cline, R-Rockbridge, would have clarified under state law that when a gun owner does not possess a concealed-carry permit, the owner can still stow a gun in an unlocked container in his or her vehicle.

It would have noted that the weapon would be considered secured if it was in a container or compartment — such as a console or glove compartment — that was closed, but not necessarily locked.

The bill was meant to codify a 2013 appellate court ruling in a Henrico County case. The court dismissed the conviction of a defendant who had a handgun in an unlocked glove compartment. It found that the handgun was “secured in a closed, latched and ‘well-fastened’ glove compartment.”

During the General Assembly session, McAuliffe tried to amend the bill to require the containers or compartments to be locked. The House of Delegates rejected the change.

Andrew Cain