WASHINGTON — When Virginia Republicans left Richmond Tuesday without considering the Democratic governor’s call for a package of gun-control measures, they said the state should follow the example of Tim Kaine, who appointed a blue ribbon panel to investigate the Virginia Tech massacre when he was governor in 2007.

In an interview with reporters Thursday, Kaine said Republicans already have the recommendations of his blue ribbon panel, including more comprehensive background checks for gun purchases. Kaine points out that the same recommendation was offered by Gov. Ralph Northam but ignored by state legislators this week.

Kaine says he expects gun safety to be “sort of a referendum issue for this November’s legislative elections.”