McAuliffe Continues to Walk Fine Line Regarding Herring and Out-of-State Permit Deal

In the Richmond Times Dispatch story on the defeat of Constitutional Carry, the reporter circled back to the deal on overturning Attorney General Mark Herring's attack on out-of-state concealed carry permits.  The RTD noted that McAuliffe appeared on a radio station Monday continued his praise for Herring "getting everyone to the table" he admitted there was no evidence that people with out of state permits had committed crimes in Virginia:

In a media blitz Monday morning that included three radio appearances and one TV spot, McAuliffe walked a fine line that alternated between praise for Herring and defending the rationale of reversing an action that Herring had said would make Virginians safer.

“I appreciate the work the attorney general did on this. It got us to the table,” McAuliffe said in an interview with conservative radio host John Fredericks. “But we have no record of anyone in the last 25 years being injured or hurt with someone who came into our state with a concealed weapon.”

The governor’s remarks echo critiques leveled at Herring’s decision by pro-gun activists, who question the need to tighten out-of-state permits if the state could not produce statistics showing a problem.

McAuliffe contrasted the lack of crimes involving concealed carry permits with statistics on other elements of the deal. The compromise would require state police to be present at every gun show to perform background checks for unlicensed sellers and force anyone under a permanent restraining order for domestic violence to give up their guns or face a felony conviction that would mean losing gun rights altogether.

Four people were killed last year after taking out a protective order, McAuliffe said, and state police were present at 42 of 77 gun shows.

This blog reported yesterday via "The Trace" that the deal was in the works for a week before Herring was clued in.