Guns and kids don't mix, as witnessed by the school shootings that tumbled like dominos through one state after the other: Kentucky. Arkansas. Colorado. Georgia. Oregon.

Guns and alcohol don't mix.

Guns and felons don’t mix.

Those deadly combinations have some legislators in Virginia recommending a variety of bills to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Many parents, teachers and other Virginians are pushing for laws to keep guns out of schools and restaurants – and away from children and criminals.

It has been standing room only at meetings of the House Subcommittee on Militia and Police. But groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to a high school rifle club fear that such measures would penalize law-abiding citizens.

"Parents send their children to a public school and expect them to be in a gun-free environment," said Pam Pouchot, who chairs the Virginia Committee for Gun-Free Schools.

But Tom Evans, a lobbyist for the NRA, countered: "The only way to control crime is by controlling criminals instead of trying to control the tools they use, which other people use also."

Guns on School Property

Current law allows guns on school property and school buses for certain purposes, such as school-sponsored shooting competitions and firearms safety programs. The Militia and Police Subcommittee has considered several bills that would close such loopholes, as some Virginians have called them.

"Removing firearms from school property would remove temptation from a student who might go berserk and otherwise yank a gun away from someone," said Delegate James H. Dillard II, R-Fairfax, who has sponsored some of the bills.

But comprehensively banning guns from school property would put an end to rifle teams, said Traci Yates, who coaches students in gun safety at Yorktown High School in Arlington.

She said her students compete against eight other high schools and use a school bus to transport their rifles to the Annandale Small Arms Range. If guns are prohibited on the bus, her 20 students, from eighth to 12th grade, would have to car-pool – and that would be a logistics nightmare, Yates said.

Dillard said he is not trying to be overly restrictive. "I am not the enemy," he said. "I belonged to a rifle club." He has amended some of his bills to provide for technicians and others with business on school property to be permitted to carry a gun while on duty.

But overall, he said, the General Assembly should send a loud and clear message to high school students: Schools and firearms don't mix.

William Pruett, a former principal and a lobbyist for the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, said superintendents throughout the state favor zero tolerance of weapons in school. "Our intent is to keep weapons off of school property," he said, "so a child may not have access to a weapon, which could be used impulsively in a moment of anger."

But even Pruett would allow a few exceptions. He said parents should not be prosecuted for carrying licensed concealed weapons when they come to pick up children from school.

Guns in restaurants and other places

Tom Lisk, of the Virginia Restaurant Association, was concerned over allowing concealed firearms in restaurants that have an ABC license. He said that more people have obtained concealed weapons since 1995 and that alcohol and guns don't mix.

For example, in Hampton, Lisk said, two federal drug agents, although trained in weapon safety, got into a fight with some patrons at a restaurant after having a few drinks. The agents continued the argument in the parking lot and were arrested after they shot a customer who was trying to get away from them.

Melissa Mansfield, lobbyist for Virginians Against Handgun Violence, said it is reasonable to prohibit firearms in recreation areas, parks and playgrounds frequented by teens and children. She supports the bill that would allow localities to decide whether to ban guns from parks, recreation area and playgrounds to safeguard their children.

Concealed weapons and other circumstances

Another bill would establish reciprocal agreements between Virginia and other states on carrying concealed weapons. Under the proposal, Virginians would be able to travel with their guns beyond the state's borders. This was favored by Philip Van Cleve, of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. He said Virginian citizens now must leave their guns at home, and being able to take a gun would encourage travel to other states.

The panel heard that it is more difficult to obtain a concealed weapons license in Virginia than in some other states such as Vermont.

Alice Mountjoy, lobbyist for Virginians Against Handgun Violence, said she opposed the reciprocal agreements. The proposal would allow people unfamiliar with Virginia’s tougher concealed weapons law to bring firearms into the state, she said. Those visitors could endanger Virginians, Mountjoy said.

Other bills considered by the subcommittee would:

• Establish a state program to provide safety locks on guns for Virginians who request them. The panel doubted that available funding would be forthcoming for this project and killed it until next year.

• Forbid people charged with two or more convictions of stalking and sexual battery to carry a firearm. The committee killed this bill, a development Mansfield called disappointing.