Legislative Update

On Thursday, January 18, in an almost three hour meeting this afternoon into the evening, the House Public Safety Firearms Subcomittee advanced bad gun bills and defeated two good bills.    This morning the full committee rubberstamped the subcommittee's recommendations Below are the bad bills that advanced.

HB46 Firearm; transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Reported from Public Safety (11-Y 9-N).

HB113 Handguns; possession, purchase, or transportation by persons convicted of certain drug offenses. Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 9-N) Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

  
HB454 Firearm/explosive material; carrying w/in Capitol Square or bldg. owned or leased by Commonwealth. Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 9-N) Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

HB2 Assault firearms & certain ammunition, etc.; purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., prohibited. Reported from Public Safety (11-Y 9-N) Referred to Committee on Appropriations.  Here is how debate on HB 2 went last night.

HB173 Plastic firearms and unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties. A substitute was offered, and amendment to exempt unserialized firearms commercially manufactured prior to 1968. Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 9-N) Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

HB466 Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Reported from Public Safety (12-Y 9-N).

Bills not referred to Appropriations will be on the floor on Moday to begin floor votes.  Please contact your Delegate and urge them to oppose the above bills.

The below bill was advanced by the full committee this morning.  VSSA is neutral on this bill.
HB22 Auto sears; prohibition on manufacture, importation, sale, etc., penalty. - During the meeting, it was clarified that that those owned in compliance with the National Firearms Act are exempt from the legislation. VSSA changed the position of opposition to a neutral position after the amendment was accepted by the subcommittee. Reported from Public Safety with substitute (20-Y 0-N) Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

As we noted in our email update last night, the below good bills were defeated.  They do not move any futher in the process and are dead for the session.  
HB390 Concealed handgun; carrying handgun when issued a protective order, civil penalty. Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (6-Y 4-N).
HB395 Concealed handgun permit; applying for enhanced permit. Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (8-Y 2-N).

This morning, two pro-rights bills were heard by the full committee and killed.
HB11 Knives; carrying as concealed weapons. Tabled on a 12-9 vote.
HB16 Firearm or explosive material; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, etc. Passed by indefinately (defeated) on a 12-9 vote.

The gun ban lobby and anti-rights Democrats on the committee used the same old talking points in approving the ban on the so-called "assault weapons" ban.  As you can see in the video above, it makes no difference what augurments the pro-rights community use to oppose the bills, they simply don't care.  It's clear the gun ban lobby is running the show. 

We will be doing this all over again on Monday as there are a number of gun bills on the docket of Senate Courts of Justice.