Senate Judiciary Kills All Pro-2A Bills

In an almost four hour meeting Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee defeated all of the pro-rights bill on today's docket on party line votes.  There were two bad bills on the docket, one was referred to sub-committee and one was passed by for the day and will likely be heard either Monday or Wednesday of next week.  Below is a breakdown of today's committee votes.

Pro Second Amendment
Senate Bill 74 would have repealed the ability for localities to pass local ordinances restricting lawful carry. It would also have prohibited the ability for localities to file lawsuits against the firearm industry for lawful activities. It would not have prohibited lawsuits for breach of contract or negligence from firearms or ammunition purchased by localities. The bill would also have required localities to sell any firearms they receive in compensated confiscation schemes, so-called “gun buybacks”, to licensed dealers. This bill was Passed by Indefinately (killed) on a 9-6 vote.

Senate Bill 330 This bill would have added Virginia to the other 21 states with "Constitutional Carry" by allowing any law-abiding adult who is legally eligible to obtain a carry permit, to carry a handgun without first having to obtain government permission. The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on an 8-6 vote.

Senate Bill 364 would have repealed handgun rationing (one handgun-a-month). The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on an 8-6 vote.

Senate Bill 644 This bill would have exempted concealed handgun permit (CHP) holders from the ban on private sales of firearms. The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on a 9-6 vote.

Senate Bill 763 This bill would have exempted CHP holders from local ordinances that restrict possessing or carrying firearms, ammunition, or components. This bill was rolled into SB61 which as introduced would have only exempted active an law-enforcement officer, (ii) qualified retired law-enforcement officer, (iii) attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (iv) qualified retired attorney for the Commonwealth or retired assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (v) judge or justice of the Commonwealth, or (vi) retired judge or retired justice of the Commonwealth from local ordinances that restrict possessing or carrying firearms, ammunition, or components. VSSA had opposed SB61 as introduced but as mentioned in yesterday's legislative alert would support the bill if it was amended to include all CHP holders. When SB763 was rolled into SB61, VSSA supported the bill. It was Passed by indefinitely on a 9-6 vote

Anti-Gun
Senate Bill 310 This bill would end the ability for an individual to build their own firearm for personal use (so called "ghost guns"). The bill was passed by for the day and will likely be taken up at one of the two scheduled meetings next week.

Senate Bill 487 This bill would create a Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention to, among other things, conduct “research” and make policy recommendations. The focus of this proposed Center and fund is firearms. The issue is crime, and firearms are only a tool for criminals. Criminals should be the focus of crime prevention, not the tools they use. This bill was referred to sub-committee. VSSA will keep members updated on this bill and any hearings it will have in sub-committee.

There is one bill on the docket of today's Public Safety Subcommittee #1 meeting scheduled for 4:00 PM. The bill is HB827 - Control of firearms by localities. This bill is like SB74 which was defeated in Senate Judiciary today and removes the authority for a locality by ordinance that prohibit the possession or carrying of firearms, ammunition, or components or any combination thereof in certain buildings or property owned by the locality. This bill will likely meet a better fate in the House subcommittee tomorrow but please contact members of the subcommittee and urge them to support HB827. You can find members of the subcommittee here. You can find their contact information by clicking their names.