Sussex County Sunday Shooting Ban Repealed for 60 Days

The Sussex County Board of Supervisors held their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, May 15.  During the meeting, County Attorney Mike Packer discussed the concerns raised by gun owners and hunters related to the ban on Sunday target shooting passed as part of a larger noise ordinance change on April 17th.  He said that if an emergency ordinance is approved, the board can "repeal" the section dealing with Sunday shooting (Section 5). He also said the matter would have to come back before the Board within 60 days because an emergency ordinance would expire in 60 days. Any permanent change would require a public hearing.  There was some discussion about how the Board exempt gun noise and not loud music but Vice Chairman Robert Hamlin responded  that loud music and gunfire noise is not the same.

I don't own a gun but I have a problem restricting a person's right to use their gun.

Maybe someone should ask Mr. Hamlin why it took a public outcry by gun owners and hunter to figure that out since he voted for the ordinance in question.

Sussex-Surry Dispatch reporter Mike Campbell reported live via his Twitter feed that Board Chairman Eric Fly once again confirmed this was a direct attack on Sunday hunting.

Board Chairman: Not sure how we can just "snatch out" the gunfire section of the ordinance. Goes back to Sunday hunting concerns by county.
— Mike Campbell (@itsthesoup) May 16, 2014

Fly: Noise ordinance was created to keep people from shooing next to houses on Sundays. "If removed, how are we gonna protect people?"
— Mike Campbell (@itsthesoup) May 16, 2014

After discussion closed the Board voted by emergency ordinance to repeal the section of the noise ordinance that banned shooting on Sunday.  That repeal is in effect for 60 days and the Board has that long to hold another public hearing on permanently repeal that part of the ordinance.  VSSA will continue to monitor this situation and keep members and gun owners posted.

Hat Tip Mike Campbell with the Sussex-Surry Dispatch.

Sussex County Attorney Comments Infer Noise Ordinance Shooting Restrictions Aimed at Sunday Hunting

Yesterday this blog inferred that the new Sunday shooting restrictions in Sussex County's new noise ordinance was aimed at Sunday Hunting.  It appears from an article on the proposed ordinance in the April 9th Sussex Surry Dispatch (SSD) that at least one person may have had that in mind.  When asked by the reporter whether the shooting restrictions were a way for the County to get around the Sunday Hunting law, County Attorney Michael Packer said that he did not see the ordinance conflicting with it because state law governs hunting.  He then followed up with this comment:

The folks that feel they have a need to hunt on Sunday would have to figure out a way to do it in a way that does not bother other people, from a noise point-of-view," Packer commented.

Now, as a county attorney, he should know that the county does have some limited powers that allow them to place some restrictions on hunting, like, the kind of firearm that can be used.  But, his comment gives the hint that he helped craft an ordinance that would make it all but impossible to hunt on Sunday, unless of course people used a bow. The SSD article also mentioned that the Board had previously passed a resolution opposing Sunday hunting.

The last time the issue of shooting restrictions for noise came up in Sussex was 2012.  At that time the Board heard from gun owners that the proposed restrictions were not acceptable and the Board sent the proposal back to the Planning Commission.  It never came back up, until now, and the Board was able to slip it through with little notice from gun owners and gun rights groups on April 17th.  A backlash has now ensued.  Board Chairman Eric Fly is holding his quarterly constituents meeting tonight at 7 PM at the Sussex County Courthouse.  He is likely to get an earful.

Sussex County Board of Supervisors Effectively Ban Shooting on Private Property on Sundays

On April 17th, the Sussex County Board of Supervisors passed a new noise ordinance aimed at banning shooting on private property on Sundays.  The Sussex-Surry Dispatch has confirmed that Board Chairman Eric Fly will hold a meeting with gun owners on April 30th. 

NOISE ORDINANCE: A meeting between gun owners & Chairman Eric Fly scheduled for tomorrow evening. We will be there and have full coverage.
— Sussex-Surry Dspch. (@SSDispatch) April 29, 2014

The meeting will be held at the Sussex County Court House and will begin at 7 PM.  The part of the new ordinance affecting gun owners is:

New language added to the proposed new ordinance, covering using guns on Sunday, public to have input shortly. pic.twitter.com/V3AFoRxPJo
— Mike Campbell (@itsthesoup) April 17, 2014

This appears to be a direct attack at the new Sunday Hunting law passed this year by the Virginia General Assembly and in doing so stepped over the line by effectively banning all target shooting on private property, and almost assuredly killing any chances for new shooting ranges in the county.  Sussex has been a battleground for noise ordinances since 2009.  We finally put the issue to rest but now it appears opponents of Sunday hunting have reopened the issue.  If you live in Sussex County, please plan on attending the meeting tomorrow night.  If you can't attend, you can email the Chairman of the Board, Eric Fly, at seamcorp@gmail.com or call at 757-647-8190.