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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition

Here is a plug for a great shooter and a fellow blogger.  Julie Golob has won many national and world titles over several different disciplines.  Additionally, she is an accomplished hunter.  If you are not familiar with Julie, here is a snippet from her web site bio:
Julie Golob is one of the most accomplished professional shooters in the world and captain of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Team, helping lead her teammates to victory season after season. One of the most well-rounded competitors on the pro shooting circuit, she dominates in competition and has won titles in seven different action shooting sports.

In 2006 she became the first and only Five Division USPSA Ladies National Champion, winning the Ladies National Title at the USPSA Limited-10, Single-Stack and Production Nationals. Accumulating all these titles in the same year, she became the first woman ever to earn a USPSA Nationals Triple Crown. In 2011 Julie won the Ladies Revolver National Title at the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Nationals, becoming the first shooter in history (male or female) to win a national title in all six USPSA divisions.
She knows shooting, and has written a new book, Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition, that is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

The book will hit the shelves in 2012.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Michigan Agrees to Reciprocity with Virginia, Others

The Daily Tribune reports that Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced yesterday he has reached a deal that allows Michigan residents with a concealed carry permits to carry in 39 other states, including Virginia.
Schuette noted that Michigan CPL holders who wish to carry a concealed weapon in another state are responsible for complying with the laws of that state. Also, residents of states that exercise reciprocity with Michigan are responsible for complying with Michigan laws restricting where pistols may be carried, requiring disclosure to a peace officer when stopped, and prohibiting carrying while under the influence.

Women Pulling the Trigger

Today's Wall Street Journal has this story about The Women's Shooting Sports League, a Manhattan-based group that has been gathering once a month for almost 10 years to shoot at a range in Chelsea.

Earlier this month, the club organized an excursion to the Kinderhook Sportsmen's Club, drawing nearly 20 women, many of them first-time shooters.
The reporter found something that many of VSSA's affiliated clubs that run NRA Women on Target Clinics (WOTs) have known for several years - women are increasingly interested in the shooting sports.  WOTs at the Arlington Fairfax IWLA, as well as the Rappahannock Pistol and Rifle Club and Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club typically sell out.
Ms. Lovato's club is for recreational shooting, not self-defense, she said. "You don't want people to fear having their name associated with firearms, because what we're doing is we're trying to educate and stimulate and empower women to do something positive with a gun instead of something negative."
It's nice to know that in the land of Bloomberg, there is a thriving club of women shooters.   
Like any sport "if you find that you can get better and better, it becomes more and more enjoyable," she said. "It can be very satisfying to hit the bulls-eye."
Comments like this are very encouraging.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Sunday Hunting Again Making Headlines

With the opening of general firearms deer hunting season this past weekend, the local CBS affilate had this story on Sunday Hunting.

WTVR6 went to Dance's Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights to find out what folks thought.  As you saw in the clip above, even among hunters, there is no agreement that the law needs to be changed.  But one thing can not be disputed; 20 years ago there were over 1/2 million licensed hunters in the Commonwealth.  Today, there are approximately half that number.  Revenue from hunting and fishing licenses funds the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF).  DGIF has to make up the lost revenue and so this year, for the second time in 24 years, raised license fees by five dollars.  So, for the deer hunter who hunts with a muzzleloader  and rifle, last year hunting licenses cost that hunter $54.  This year, it cost $64.  That is a little less than a 20% increase.

Sunday Hunting is expected to be another topic of debate at this year's session of the General Assembly.

Virginia's Firearm Instant Background Check System Targeted for Elimination

The Virginian Pilot ran this report today that Virginia's instant background check, known as the Virginia Firearms Transaction Program, may be one of the issues debated at the 2012 Session of the Virginia General Assembly.
Gun-rights advocates have lobbied Gov. Bob McDonnell to scrap the program, arguing that it is redundant because a federal background check system can replace it.
As you can imagine, the gun ban lobby is less than happy about the prospect.  But the Governor's office has acknowledged that the idea is under review.
A spokeswoman for McDonnell said "informal discussions with interested parties" about the background check system have been held and the subject remains under review.
The idea first surfaced a couple years ago when State Senator John Watkins, who represents Chesterfield, Powhatan, and a small portion of the City of Richmond, proposed raising the current $2 transaction fee to $5.  The fee is charged to gun owners for the check.  At the time, the state police, claimed they no longer had the staff to efficiently run the background checks due to the surge in new purchases that began in the fall of 2008, and the increase would fund new staff to run the system.  The increase also coincided with what had become long delays in approvals, something that the Virginia system, unlike the federal system, had not been known for in the past.  Pro-rights groups, including VSSA, successfully lobbied to kill the bill in the House of Delegates after it sailed through the more liberal State Senate.

The Pilot reports that doing away with the system could be a two edged sword for the Governor.
Doing away with it would likely shrink the state bureaucracy and at least nominally reduce spending, areas where the governor has worked to distinguish himself. But it also invites potential blowback from gun-control and public-safety advocates at a time that McDonnell is nurturing vice-presidential aspirations.
Both the Virginia program and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) screen purchasers for criminal history, illegal presence in the country, drug offenses, dishonorable military discharge, mental health adjudications and protective orders against them.  While there is overlap as some pro-rights groups point out, the state system is not exactly the same as federal system, which has been around since 1998 and is overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the state police, Virginia's check includes some standards are stricter than the federal prohibitions.  They say ending the state program would undercut aspects of state gun law.  For instance, state protective order rules apply to more family situations than the federal standards; Virginia's drug policy disqualifies buyers for longer periods of time; and rules on foreign-born purchasers differ.  Additionally, Virginia law prohibits people with juvenile felony convictions from obtaining a firearm. One reason for the disparity between the federal and state checks related to juveniles is the state has strict limits on access to state juvenile criminal records, therefore, information about youthful felonies doesn't appear in the federal background check system.

Handgun rationing (Virginia's one handgun-a-month) was also mentioned, though the Pilot links the background check to the rationing scheme.  While the background check is a way for the state police to know who has purchased a handgun in the last thirty days, the two are not officially linked.  And, VSSA has already stated to members that repealing handgun rationing is this year's top priority.  While Governor McDonnell is already on record as supporting repeal of handgun rationing, the pilot pointed out that Senator Watkins, who voted for the law in 1993, is also now in favor of repealing it.
 

This is good news because repeal is going to require people who voted for it to switch their vote.

This is going to be a very active and important legislative session.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fairfax Rod and Gun Club 2012 High Power Match Dates

VSSA High Power Rifle Committee Chairman Mike Jamison notes that Fairfax Rod and Gun Club has published the schedule for the 2012 Spring League.  The first match is March 10. Mike would like to field five teams!  If you are interested, contact Mike Jamison or just show up at Fairfax by 8:00 AM that day.  This is a great match series, and good practice for the rest of the year.

Come out and join a great group of shooters for a spring filled with shooting fun!

Fairfax Rod and Gun club 2012 High Power Rifle Schedule

Jan-21
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Feb-11
Sat
High Power Rifle Clinic
Feb-25
Sat
High Power Work/Shoot
Mar-10
Sat
HP Spring League Match #1
Mar-11
Sun
HP Spring League Match #1
Mar-24
Sat
HP Spring League Match #2
Mar-25
Sun
HP Spring League Match #2
Apr-7
Sat
HP Spring league Makeup Match
Apr-14
Sat
HP Spring league Match #3
Apr-15
Sun
HP Spring league Match #3
Apr-28
Sat
HP Spring League Match #4
Apr-29
Sun
HP Spring League Match #4
May-19
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Jun-16
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Jul-21
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Aug-18
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Sept-15
Sat
Garand/Vintage Rifle Match
Oct-20
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Nov-17
Sat
Monthly High Power Match
Dec-15
Sat
Monthly High Power Match

CJS Appropriations Conference Agreement Includes Three Firearms Provisions

Late yesterday the House and Senate released the conference language of the FY2012 appropriations for the Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), and Transprortation-HUD "Minibus". The legislation contains three pro-rights policy riders that were included in the House version of the appropriation bill.

Text of the entire legislation is available here.
Second Amendment Rights –The conference agreement includes numerous provisions that protect the right to keep and bear arms. Three of these protections are made permanent law beginning in fiscal year 2012. These three provisions prohibit DOJ from consolidating firearms sales records, electronically retrieving the records of former firearms dealers, and maintaining information on persons who have passed firearms background checks. In addition, the conference agreement contains numerous one-year firearms protections, and new language prohibiting DOJ from requiring imported shotguns to meet a "sporting purposes" test.
The House and Senate are expected to pass the legislation later this week.

Monday, November 14, 2011

UVA Board Passes Regulation to Ban Firearms on Campus

The Cavalier Daily, UVA's student newpaper, reports that the UVA Board of Visitors approved a regulation Friday banning firearms on "Grounds, at the University Medical Center and at the College at Wise".
The new regulation applies to all University students, personnel, trainees, volunteers and visitors, including those with concealed weapons permits.
The regulation will now be submitted to the state for publication the Virginia Register and then later in the Virginia Administrative Code before taking effect.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Reeves Lead Over Houck Increases

A quick check of the State Board of Elections web state shows that Bryce Reeves' lead over Senator Edd Houck has increased from the 86 vote margin he held after all precincts reported Tuesday night, to a total of 211 votes.  It appears he has picked up some votes through the canvass, possibly from the provisional ballots cast.

New York Daily News: Bloomberg's Anti-gun Candidates Win in Va. but Gun Control Measures Could be Repealed

The New York Daily News has this story today pointing out that all six of the candidates to whom Bloomberg donated campaign funds won their state senate races Tuesday but that the Republicans still may have won control which could mean bills that had failed to make it out of the chamber in the past may now move forward.
There are 10 gun bills that have passed the GOP-controlled General Assembly and now could also pass the Senate, including one that would repeal Virginia’s current mandate that a person can only buy one gun a month.
UVA political scientist Larry Sabato told the Post that wholesale changes still may not be likely since the GOP only reached parity with a 20-20 tie.  It should be noted however that there are a couple (and I do mean that literally) of pro-rights Democrats still in the chamber that could help the majority of Republicans who support firearm freedom to move legislation.  This group of Republicans is much more conservative that the bunch of RINOs who lead the GOP majority four years ago.

Canvass of 17th District Votes Continues

Local registrars in the 17th District will continue the canvass of votes cast Tuesday and according to the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star web site, the process should be complete today.  Localities will then certify their results and turn them in to the State Board of Elections.

Part of the canvassing process is determining what to do with Provisional Ballots - ballots cast by individuals who said they were registered to vote but were not on the voter roll when they showed up at their precinct.
According to Donald Palmer, secretary of the state Board of Elections, localities in the 17th have about 100 to 150 provisional ballots to tally. Palmer said he wasn’t surprised by that number.
State certification of the results will not be done until November 28.  If the margin between the Bryce Reeves and Senator Edd Houck remains at 1 percent or less of the total votes cast, the loser has 10 days to ask for a recount. If the margin is a half-percent or less, the candidate doesn’t have to pay for it.

We don't have to wait until November 28.  If Houck continues to trail after the canvass is complete, and either does not gain votes, or his margin of defeat grows, he could exercise the option that former U.S. Senator George Allen chose in 2006 when he narrowly lost to James Webb - he can concede the race, and let Reeves begin the transition process to take office in January.

It remains to be seen what the end result will be, and it could be December before we know the final outcome.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Manuel Alvarez Ousts Orapax Shooting Preserve Foe from Goochland Board

Manuel Alvarez defeated incumbent William "Bill" Quarles for a seat on the Goochland Board of Supervisors.  Alvarez, an NRA member, is a true success story.
Alvarez’s journey to Goochland County has been a long one, starting from his birthplace, Matanzas, Cuba, a port town about 100 kilometers east of Havana.

After the revolution and Fidel Castro’s rise to power, Alvarez’s parents sent him, along with his sister, to Spain in 1968 when was 14. After six months there in a Catholic refugee camp and a home in Madrid run by German Lutherans, he came to the U.S.

“We flew into New York City and had to circle the airport several times,” said Alvarez, who had just turned 15. He recalled seeing the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
Quarles was seeking his third term on the Board and had plans for a future run for the General Assembly. Gun owners in Goochland may remember Quarles as one of the Board members who voted in 2007 to reinstitute a requirement for a special use permit to open a shooting range.  The move was viewed as a direct end run around a zoning appeal that Orapax Hunting Preserve had pending with the Goochland Board of Zoning Appeals.  Orapax operates an upland game shooting preserve on 700 acres in the county and wanted to add a sporting clays range open to the public.

Congratulations to Mr. Alvarez on a great victory.

Architect of Attack on Cavilier Rifle and Pistol Club Defeated in Hanover

Republican challenger Wayne Hazzard defeated longtime incumbent John Gordon for the South Anna District Board of Supervisor's seat in Hanover County.  Gordon led the charge to shut down Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club in Montpelier several years ago. Wayne Hazzard is a member of the NRA, and a solid, conservative, pro-gun rights candidate. Hazzard lost to Gordon in the Republican Primary in 1999.  Gordon left the party this year to run as an independent to avoid the cost of a primary campaign.

Members of the Board of Supervisors get to appoint planning commission members for their district and  Gordon's appointment to the commission played a huge role in Hanover's battle against Cavalier.  In the end, Cavalier was able to continue operation but under restrictions with which other ranges in similar areas do not have to contend.

Congratulations to Wayne on his victory.

Virginia Senate Majority Hangs in the Balance

The balance of power in the Virginia Senate hinges on one district this morning - the 17th District race between Bryce Reeves and incumbent Edd Houck.  Reeves holds a razor thin 86 vote edge with an unknown amount of provisional ballots still to be counted.  Reeves declared victory when all of the precincts reported their count but Houck is not conceding anything yet. There will be a canvasing of the returns this morning

Republicans needed to win just two seats to gain parity with Democrats that would effectively shift control with the help of Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, who can cast tie breaking votes, including organizing the chamber when it convenes in January.  A pickup of three seats would have given the Republicans an out right majority.  Republicans picked up the first seat when State Senator Bill Stanley defeated longtime incumbent Senator Roscoe Reynolds in the newly drawn Southside Virginia district that pitted two incumbents against each other.  This was one of two seats thought to hold an endangered Democrat.  Houck being the other endangered incumbent.  Houck in the past has escaped defeat in a district that leaned GOP by saying he was a moderate in step with the district where he supported repeal of the Death Tax and support for Second Amendment related issues.

Republicans also made plays for several Northern Virginia seats but those races were not close.  The only seat they were able to claim in the upper portion of the state was a district formerly based in Suffolk held by a retiring Republican that now stretches from Prince William to Loudoun County.  Former Delegate Richard Black was able to win that seat to keep in GOP hands.

Over in the House of Delegates, Republicans padded their already sizable majority picking up at least six seats to claim the highest number of seats the Republicans have ever held in the House.  

What does this mean for gun owners?  If the two seat pick-up in the senate stands, Republicans will have a one seat majority on every committee.   Also, because the Republicans that make up this senate are decidedly more conservative than the Republicans that made up the senate the last time Republicans held an out right majority, it is very possible that legislation that died in committee in the past under both parties, could move to the floor this time.  In the past, Senator Tommy Norment has been a question mark on key firearm related votes.  He will remain on Senate Courts of Justice.  Senator Fred Quayle however, another so-so vote, retired and will likely be replaced by a more conservative member.  Additionally, the GOP will pick up one more vote which would be a wash as Roscoe Reynolds, who was defeated, was a pro-rights vote on the committee. VSSA will continue to watch results in the 17th District and will alert members to any additional changes.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Holder on Fast and Furious

CQ Roll Call's Daily Briefing reports that Attorney General Eric Holder had this to say about Fast and Furious while testifying at Senate Judiciary today:
HOLDER’S TAKE: The arms-for-drug-traffickers sting effort known as Operation Fast and Furious was flawed from beginning to end “must never happen again,” Holder told Senate Judiciary this morning, but the attorney general declined to discuss in public the Justice Department’s plans for disciplining or reassigning the officials involved. Holder defended his actions, which include asking for an inspector general’s inquiry of his own involvement. But that did not ward off a sharp and testy exchange with top panel Republican Chuck Grassley, who has been leading the criticism of the Mexican drug cartel investigation and the use of the controversial “gun-walking” tactic.
When Senator John Cornyn of Texas gave Holder a chance to apologize to the family of Border Patrol Officer Brian Terry for the fatal scheme causing Terry's death, he basically avoided the question.

Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club Women on Target Clinic Huge Success


RRRC hosted a Women on Target event on October 1st. Thirty two women participated. For some it was the first time they had a firearm in their hands. According to Darlene Parker, the smiles on their faces where a sight to be seen. Surveys were passed out at the end and there were many comments about how patient and kind the instructors and staff were, and all of them said they would attend another clinic. Some even suggested the club should have a clinic one once a month. Darlene reports that the event went smoothly and could not have happened without the generous support of the sponsors and workers. Thanks to the following:

Franklin Outdoors, VSSA, Kroger Foods, W&M Gun repair, and CAPPS. Rod Carter, Beth Christopoulos, Gerald and Katrina D'Inzillo, Matt Metcalf, Epps Foster, Eddie Webster, Larry Martin, Ken Powell, Kathy Smith, Mark Parker, Adam Keen, Re-becca Bryant (lil Ike), Brenda Brazauskas (slow poke), Jim Bratton, Carl Grove, Barney and Lisa Laverty, Susan Rokisky, Harvey Bulaski, Dee Glass, Lynn Craig, Joe Davis, George Stone, and Ray Miller.

Thanks to Darlene Jeffrey Parker for the report.

Election Day

Today is Election Day in the Commonwealth.  Control of the State Senate is the prize as the House is expected to remain firmly in the GOP column.  Please go to the polls and Vote Freedom First!  Polls are open until 7:00 PM.

On Sunday, VSSA sent out a list of endorsed candidates.  As always, it stirred responses from some members who disagreed with the chosen candidates.  For incumbents, VSSA bases endorsements on the voting record the elected official has compiled on bills scored by VSSA.  It is what has been referred to as an "Incumbent Friendly" endorsement policy.  If an incumbent has supported bills protecting and expanding the rights of Virginia gun owners, they will receive the VSSA endorsment, even if their challenger has a pro-rights voting record while in another elected office or has stated they will support legislation protecting those rights.

Senator Edd Houck (D-17th District) appears to be the one that caused the most consternation among those from whom we heard.  As stated in the email, Senator Houck has voted for all of the pro-rights bills used in VSSA's scoring, including voting to override Governor Tim Kaine's vetos of several pro-rights bills.

One member alerted VSSA to comments made by Senator Houck during a recent candidate debate that he does not support campus carry. 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

New Air Rifle Law Topic of Blacksburg Town Council Elections

It seems some people still have their knickers in a wad over the new air rifle law that took effect July 1 of this year.  The Virginia Tech student newspaper published this Q & A with most of the Town Council Candidates running in this year's election and the new law was one of the questions posed.  Two of the candidates said they would like the new law repealed.
Paul Lancaster:
I think it should be repealed. I think it should be up to the locality. That’s one thing the General Assembly likes to do, to pass a law that may be great for one locality but they think it will apply to everybody. To a person, when the current council voted on that, the town attorney made changes in the town code to accommodate that. They all voted ‘aye’ because they had to, it’s state law, but they all complained that they didn’t want to do it. This is not a town that needs a pellet gun being run around. I can see someone driving around town late at night shooting up windows. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to have it in Blacksburg.
John Bush:
Right now, I would have to say that it should be repealed and left to the localities. It’s interesting to me that we have basically a Republican-led General Assembly — that’s the same party that talks about local rules and local government and states being able to say what they need and what works best for them when they talk about the federal government. But we’re a Dillon Rule state, and what the Dillon Rule essentially means is that localities cannot pass their own laws if it isn’t something the General Assembly has already allowed to happen. When they passed the law that says pneumatic guns can be used in town limits, we didn’t have a choice. We had to pass it. Personally, for this town, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
None of the candidates however were happy with the law, nor were they happy with the Dillon Rule, which governs what localities can and can't do.

I would remind Mr. Bush and Mr. Lancaster that there have been no report of air rifles causing harm to neighbors or their property since the law took effect.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Pro-Rights and Anti-Rights Advocates Turnout at ODU to Promote, Oppose, Campus Carry

WAVY TV10 has the report.

Pro and anti-gun rallies held at ODU: wavy.com

As usual, the students supporting campus carry are more logical in their arguments than the anti-rights folks.

NRA-ILA Urging Gun Owners to Attend GOTV Rallies

NRA-ILA Grassroots sent out an email this morning to Virginia NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinators urging them to help turn out gun owners at Get Out The Vote (GOTV) rallies this weekend.  They especially are trying to get a big turn out in Northern Virginia where NRA has endorsed several pro-rights candidates against anti-right incumbents. Governor Bob McDonnell, who signed the repeal of the "Restaurant Ban" last year, and other elected officials will be in attendance.  If you can attend and help with passing out out bumper stickers, buttons, etc. please contact NRA-ILA Sr. Grassroots Coordinator Krista Cupp.

A list of rallies follow below.

Saturday November 5th
8:00am                                   
Loudoun County Victory Rally
Loudoun Victory Center
18 Royal Street, SE – Leesburg, VA

10:00am                     
Fairfax County Victory Rally
Interstate Vanlines
5801 Rolling Road – Springfield, VA

11:45pm                     
Prince William Victory Rally
Prince William Republican Headquarters
4431 Prince William Parkway – Woodbridge, VA