Virginia Senate panel votes down push for stricter gun laws

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia state Senate panel has defeated a Democratic push for stricter gun laws.

A Republican-led panel voted Monday to block legislation that would allow cities and counties to ban firearms at certain public events. The bill came in response to a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville last summer where several participants were heavily armed. Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe enacted similar rules on a temporary basis last November.

The panel also voted down a bill to expand mandatory background checks on gun buyers. The vote comes two days after newly sworn-in Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, pushed for universal background checks during his inaugural address.

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