Proof No Bill Is Truely Dead Until It Has Died Twice

The saying that legislation is not dead until it has died twice has been proven true in the case of SB 943.  Yesterday, the VSSA legislative team reported live from Senate Courts of Justice that the bill, which would prohibit a person who has been convicted of stalking, assault and battery of a family or household member, or sexual battery from possessing or transporting a firearm, had been reported and referred to Senate Finance.  When the final votes were posted by the Senate clerk's office, the vote total indicated the bill had been soundly defeated.  Anti-rights advocates have cried foul and the Washington Post reports today that the bill will be voted on again in a future Senate Courts meeting:

Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment (R-James City) voted for the bill in committee and said it had passed. But the bill was later recorded as having failed in a 10-to-5 vote, with Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke City) joining all the committee’s Republicans in opposition. Norment said he had misspoke, but also that he had later incorrectly been listed as opposing the bill.

Senate Democrats said in a statement Monday that Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Fauquier) and Sen. Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) appeared to have changed their votes, citing a video of the voice and hand vote that is unclear. Both said they had opposed the bill in committee.

It's not the first time that a bill has come back to life after being defeated.