Council To Vote On Gun Ban For City Of Alexandria Property

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Tuesday, Alexandria City Council voted to schedule a public hearing and final vote to ban guns on certain city property.

The measure would prohibit possession, carrying or transportation of guns on city property, including buildings, parks, recreation centers and community centers. It also applies to public places such as streets or sidewalks when used for a permitted event. The proposal calls for the offense to be a class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 12 months in jail or $2,500 fine.

After 12 people were killed in the May 31, 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting, Alexandria City Council passed a gun ban for city-owned property contingent on action from the Virginia General Assembly. Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, localities are prohibited from enacting local gun control measures unless specifically authorized. Without General Assembly authorization, Alexandria's July 2019 measure did not become law.

Following the Virginia Beach shooting, Gov. Ralph Northam proposed a gun control agenda that included allowing localities to adopt gun control measures stricter than the state's. The governor called a special session on July 9, but the Republican-controlled General Assembly did not take action on the agenda, adjourned until Nov. 19 and referred the agenda to the Virginia Crime Commission.

Authorization for localities to adopt more strict gun control measures came in 2020 when the new, Democratic-controlled General Assembly started its session. Legislators passed Senate Bill 35 and House Bill 421, which allowed localities to prohibit guns in their buildings, parks, recreation centers, community centers, and public spaces used for permitted events. Northam signed the legislation, which takes effect on July 1.

The state legislation also allows any gun received by a gun buy-back program to be destroyed unless the person surrendering the gun requests in writing that it be sold.

Alexandria's proposed gun ban applies to city employees, agents and volunteers in the city's workplaces. There are exceptions for military personnel acting in the scope of their duties, sworn law enforcement officers, private security personnel hired by the city, Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs at higher education institutions, and intercollegiate athletics program involving firearms at higher education institutions. The proposal was further amended to make an exception for historical re-enactors using unloaded guns for demonstrations.

The public hearing and City Council action are scheduled for June 20.