Abby Zwerner, a teacher from Richneck Elementary School, is honored by Virginia Senators on April 12, 2023. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
The Virginia Senate on Tuesday passed a bill requiring school boards to notify gun-owning parents annually of their responsibility to safely store firearms to keep them away from their children.
Last year, interest in gun violence prevention measures increased after a then-six-year-old student brought a firearm from home to his Newport News elementary school and shot his teacher. The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, was seriously injured but survived.
The legislation , which received support from the House in a 54-45 vote last week, is on track to reach Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose spokesman Christian Martinez said the governor will review any legislation that comes to his desk. In January, however, Youngkin said “Virginia’s gun laws are already among the toughest in the nation,” making it tough to predict if he will veto this legislation, or other gun control laws introduced by Democrats.