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A vestige of Virginia's blue laws is a step closer to coming off the books.

Sunday hunting on private property was approved 71-27 today by the Virginia House of Delegates -- a significant victory after the effort for years never made it past a House subcommittee.

It now heads to the Senate, which approved a similar measure in 2012 that was killed when it crossed over to the House.

The House bill drew robust debate among Republicans on Monday, when it won preliminary approval. The bill's sponsor, Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said Monday that his House Bill 1237 “is aimed at giving folks the ability to engage in this pastime that they love, to manage our deer population in a way that is frankly necessary, to get our children more involved in this heritage.”

The measure is limited to private property and open water, he said, adding that landowners would still make the decision for their land.

But opponents cited a series of concerns, including Sunday being the “Lord’s Day.”

Del. Edward T. Scott, R-Madison, said the lawmakers who voted against the measure in committee are largely people who represent the land on which others hunt.

The bill would ban hunting within 200 yards of a house of worship as well as hunting deer with dogs on Sunday.