Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates killed a bill that had been introduced by one of the state senators who joined Republicans to vote against a separate bill that would have banned “assault weapons” in the state.

A House panel was discussing a bill introduced by state Sen. Chap Petersen, which had passed unanimously in the state Senate, which would allow part-time law enforcement officers to purchase their service firearms when they retired. Currently, full-time officers can purchase their firearms once they retire.

Amy Friedenberger, state capitol correspondent for The Roanoke Times, reported that many of the people who were present when the bill was being discussed in the House suggested it was killed because Petersen had voted against Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D-VA) gun ban proposal. Friedenberger even suggested gun-control advocates liked Petersen’s bill.

“House panel dealing with guns killed a bill from Sen. @ChapPetersen, Democrat, that would have allowed part-time law enforcement to purchase their service firearms at retirement (only full-time can right now). It passed out of the Senate 40-0,” Friedenberger tweeted. “People in the room — including gun control advocates who liked the bill — believe Democrats killed it because Petersen voted against the assault weapons bill yesterday.”

People in the room — including gun control advocates who liked the bill — believe Democrats killed it because Petersen voted against the assault weapons bill yesterday https://t.co/jm9L9aoZD2 — Amy Friedenberger (@AJFriedenberger) February 18, 2020

Graham Moomaw, a reporter for The Virginia Mercury, also reported that Petersen appeared on “Fox and Friends” the morning his bill was killed to explain why he voted against the Northam gun ban.

“Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, went on Fox and Friends this morning to explain why he voted against the assault weapon bill,” Moomaw tweeted. “‘I was surprised, frankly, that the bill came over from the House of Delegates,’ he says.”

Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, went on Fox and Friends this morning to explain why he voted against the assault weapon bill. “I was surprised, frankly, that the bill came over from the House of Delegates,” he sayshttps://t.co/ptZXyeXR6W — Graham Moomaw (@gmoomaw) February 18, 2020

Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms called the move by Virginia House Democrats “pure political pettiness,” and added that it is not Petersen who will be hurt by the move.

“Instead, it will be part-time law enforcement officers who bear the brunt of the anti-gun Democrats’ willingness to play games with public safety. House Democrats aimed for Petersen but ended up hitting Virginia residents, all because they wanted to send a message to Petersen that he’s going to pay a political price for his intransigence,” Edwards wrote.

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