Virginia Democrats are sending gun-control bills to a skeptical Gov. Youngkin

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dozens of pieces of gun-related legislation that advocates say will bolster public safety are winding their way through Virginia's Democratic-controlled General Assembly, including a measure that would halt the sale of certain semi-automatic firearms.

The question hanging over all the bills is: Just how many will Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin veto?

Youngkin, who generally toed the GOP party line on firearms rhetoric in his campaign but notably did not receive the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, is a former private equity executive whose first two years in public office were spent with a GOP majority in the state House of Delegates that largely prevented Democratic gun bills from reaching his desk.

After that chamber flipped in November's elections, the governor signaled to lawmakers in a speech on the session's opening day that he wanted to see bills that would tighten the penalties on criminals who use guns rather than legislation further restricting the purchase and use of firearms. Still, he's been assiduously quiet about where he might wield his veto pen, as he navigates a divided government dynamic and negotiations with the new Democratic legislative majority over a proposed sports arena deal in northern Virginia.