The Virginia state Senate has approved a resolution commemorating actor and gun rights champion Charlton Heston.

Senator Ralph Smith, R-Roanoke, introduced the "memorializing resolution" in a batch of measures Wednesday honoring people posthumously. Heston died April 5.

Senators don't vote on the resolutions. They agree to them by rising from their seats and standing silently for a moment, heads bowed.

The star of "Ben Hur" and "The Ten Commandments" headed the National Rifle Association, which enjoys strong support within Virginia's gun-friendly legislature.

Smith, an NRA member, said Heston's role with the organization was one reason he offered the measure. Smith said he was Roanoke's mayor when he met Heston and became a fan, giving him the key to the city.