Busy Day in Senate Courts Wednesday, Militia and Police Subcommittee Up Next

Yesterday saw a marathon meeting in Senate Courts of Justice as noted in last night's legislative update with both of VSSA's top priorities, repeal of handgun rationing and Castle Doctrine reported out of committee.  Another busy day is set as there are a number of bills scheduled to be heard this evening at 5:00 PM in House Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1. Bills to be considered in the subcommittee tonight are:

Anti-Gun Legislation:
House Bill 364 would prohibit the private sales of firearms at gun shows by requiring that all sales conducted at a gun show go through a federally licensed dealer.  We have already seen in the State Senate that the real target of such legislation is to ban all private sales.

House Bill 458 seeks to weaken Virginia's preemption law by allowing localities to adopt an ordinance that prohibits firearms, ammunition, or components, or a combination thereof, in libraries owned or operated by the locality.

Pro-Gun Legislation:
House Bill 20 would update Virginia's Emergency Powers doctrine by adding lawful carrying and transportation to the list of actions that cannot be prohibited during a declaration of emergency.

House Bill 22 would establish that no locality or entity may participate in compensated consfiscation schemes (gun "buyback") where individuals are given anything of value or money in exchange for surrendering a firearm to the locality unless the governing body first passes an ordinance authorizing the gun "buyback." This legislation also requires that any locality holding gun "buybacks" sell the firearms to a federally licensed dealer "or be disposed of in any appropriate manner" if they could not be sold.

House Bill 26 would allow a court to waive a $25 dollar fine upon presentation of the permit to the court, if a person fails to display his concealed handgun permit when requested by a law enforcement officer.

House Bill 375 would prohibit localities from adopting any workplace rule that prevents an employee from storing a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in his locked motor vehicle. The firearm must be in a secured container or compartment in the vehicle.

House Bill 940 repeals Virginia's handgun rationing which prohibits the purchase of more than one handgun in a thirty-day period.