House Passes Repeal of Handgun Rationing, Delay Tactic Employed in Senate

As expected, the House of Delegates passed HB940, a bill to repeal Virginia's handgun rationing law. The Final vote was 66 - 32.

In the Senate, SB 323 was engrossed and moved to Third Reading (final vote) but as the Senate was moving to bills on First Reading, anti-gun Senator Don McEachin (D-R) moved that the Senate reconsider the vote to engross and move the bill to Third Reading. That is generally a courtesy that is agreed to, and so it was today. Then McEachin moved the bill be passed by for the day. That motion was not objected to. This will likely delay the final vote. The gun ban lobby has been working furiously to muster the votes to defeat HB323. They are focusing on six senators, one of which voted for the bill in Senate Courts of Justice. Gun owners need to counter this with calls to the six targeted senators listed below.

Sen. Harry Blevins (R-14th) - (804) 698-7514 district14@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. John Watkins (R-10th) - (804) 698-7510 district10@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Walter Stosch (R-12th) - (804) 698-7512 district12@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Phillip Puckett (D- 38th) - (804) 698-7538 district38@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-25th) - (804) 698-7525 district25@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. John Edwards (D-21st) - (804) 698-7521 district21@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Edwards voted for SB 323 in committee and Senator Deeds has expressed support for repealing the law in the past. Senator Watkins expressed his support for repealing the law recently but the anti-gun lobby is focusing on him and the other senators listed above. Please take a moment and contact the senators listed above and let them know that the one gun-a-month law only affects and penalizes law-abiding citizens and to please vote for SB 323.