Show I I rc Va legislators vote to overhaul mental health system in wake of Va Tech Tragedy Sandhya Anita Kumar The Washington Post The Virginia General Assembly voted Tuesday for the first major overhaul of the states state's mental health system in three decades largely in response to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech The House and Senate passed a package of bills designed to give families and courts greater flexibility in having people who are mentally ill involuntarily committed among other changes Lawmakers said they hoped to prevent tragedies such as the killings April 16 when student Seung Hui HuiCho HuiCho HuiCho Cho fatally shot 32 students and teachers before killing himself This is in fact the most serious and significant change in mental health laws in 30 years and it wouldn't have happened except for what happened in Blacksburg said Del Robert Bell a Charlottesville Republican who helped write some of the proposals After the House vote the entire chamber cheered The bills now go to Gov Timothy Kaine D who supports them Legislators are still negotiating how much new money to set aside for mental health changes in inthe inthe inthe the next year two-year budget Also Tuesday Kaine vetoed his first legislation of the year year yeara a pair of bills that would have loosened restrictions on where a a person may carry or place a firearm One measure would have allowed people to keep a concealed weapon in acar a acar acar car if it was locked in a compartment or container even if they did not have havea a permit The other would have allowed people to carry a concealed weapon into restaurants that serve alcohol Currently it is legal to carry a weaRon on into a restaurant only if it does not serve alcohol Legislators could try to override Kaines Kaine's veto this week or when they return for a one-day one veto session April 16 Two-thirds Two of both chambers are needed to override a veto |