York County to Consider Repeal of Local Firearm Ordinances

You may recall that at its June 15th meeting, the York County Board of Supervisors considered restrictions on discharge of firearms in certain neighborhoods. The County Sheriff went on record prior to that meeting that he thought state law should govern and that York County should repeal its local ordinances. Because that was not on the agenda for consideration, the Board instructed the County Administrator to address the issue for a future meeting. The matter will come up for consideration at the July 20th (tomorrow) meeting.

You can see the proposed repeal here.

You can read the County Administrator's memo to the Board explaining the impact of the repeal here.

Gun owners are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting and let your voice be heard. If you cannot attend, please contact your member of the Board of Supervisors and let him or her know you support the repeal of the local discharge ordanances.

What: York County Board of Supervisors Meeting
Where: Board Room, York Hall
When: 6:00 PM (Public Hearing at 7:00 PM where firearm ordanance issue will be discussed)

Board Contacts:

Find your district here.

DISTRICT 1 - Walter C. Zaremba (757) 253-0477 (home), (757) 890-3328 (voice mail), zaremba@yorkcounty.gov

DISTRICT 2 - Sheila S. Noll (757) 877-7790 (home), (757) 890-3329 (voice mail), noll@yorkcounty.gov

DISTRICT 3 - Donald E. WigginsChairman (757) 890-2980 (home), (757) 890-3330 (voice mail), mailto:wiggins@yorkcounty.gov

DISTRICT 4 - George S. HrichakVice Chairman (757) 890-3331 (cell), hrichak@yorkcounty.gov

DISTRICT 5 - Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr., (757) 868-8591(home), (757) 890-3332 (voice mail), shepperd@yorkcounty.gov

Suffolk City Council Makes No Changes to Rifle Regulations

After hearing from three citizens at last night's meeting, the Suffolk City Council decided to make no change to the rifle regulations currently in affect in the City.

Council voted unanimously to institute the same law the state had in its code last year.

According to the Suffolk News-Hearld:

The ordinance states rifles of any caliber for the hunting of bear and deer in the city will be prohibited except in the Great Dismal Swamp. It also is unlawful to discharge a firearm or air gun of .177 caliber or larger in a densely populated area, within 100 yards of any structure used as a residence, business or storage facility without the permission of the owner; within 100 yards of any public street, except at a permitted firing range; or at or upon the property of another without permission.

VSSA will continue to monitor this and let gun owners know if their action is needed in the future.

Culpeper Town Council Defeats Police Chief's Anti- Gun Ordinance

Culpeper Chief of Police Scott Barlow tried to get the Culpeper Town Council to ban all discharge of firearms inside the town's Corporate Limits but was unsuccessful. The council voted Tuesday, September 9th, 6-2 not to change a local gun ordinance that allows people to obtain special permits to discharge guns within the Town Limits. With the vote, residents will still be able to discharge guns for such things as killing garden pests like groundhogs.

The Town Council Public Safety Committee will continue to look at the permit process to ensure that town citizens discharging firearms know how to do so properly and have enough land on which to safely shoot their gun but for now, the law stands.

Pro-gun advocates urged the Council to let state laws regarding wrongful discharge of firearms to address the issue. According to the Culpeper Star Exponent, Vice Mayor Billy Yowell said he said he understood the chief’s safety concerns in more congested areas, but that there had been no problems through the years with the ordinance as written.

Gun owners need to remain vigilant. This is the second time in three years that an anti-gun ordinance has come up in the Culpeper area (the first time was the a proposal by a member of the Board of Supervisors in 2005). If you live in a locality that is proposing an anti-gun ordinance, be sure to contact VSSA so we can lobby the elected officials and urge members in the area to contact their representatives.

Hanover Shooting Restrictions

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors regularly scheduled July meeting is today (July 23rd) and as part of the agenda, they will hold a "Workshop to Consider Proposed Ordinances Recommended by the Weapons Safety Committee." You may recall that the proposed ordinances would restrict where people can shoot in some parts of the County. The workshop is on the agenda for 3:30 PM but could start earlier so it is suggested gun owners who want to be present for that part of the meeting (and VSSA encourages gun owners who can, attend the workshop) arrive by 3:00 PM. As mentioned in our first notice about this issue, it is possible that the Board will hold a public hearing in September to discuss a proposed ordinance.

VSSA will keep you posted.

IACP Proposes More Gun Control

Just in time for their little party in New Orleans the second week in October, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) yesterday rolled out a number of proposals they say will prevent "violent crime." Funded by the gun hating Joyce Foundation, IACP's proposals could have been predicted even before they were rolled out. Specific gun control recommendations include:

• Requiring judges and law enforcement to remove guns from situations of domestic violence, as well as from people whose adjudicated mental illness, drug use, or previous criminal record suggests the possibility of violence
• Requiring that all gun sales take place through Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders with mandatory background checks (including all private sales - not just those private sales made at gun shows.
• Enacting an effective ban on military-style assault weapons, armor-piercing handgun ammunition, .50 caliber sniper rifles and other weapons that enable criminals to outgun law enforcement
• Repealing the Tiahrt Amendment, which hinders investigation of illegal gun trafficking
• Destroying guns that come into police possession once their law enforcement use has ended
• Mandating safe storage of firearms by private citizens and providing safe facilities where gun owners can store their weapons
• Mandating reporting of lost and stolen firearms

It should be no surprise that IACP wants more gun control. I doubt you will read in the media reports that the Joyce Foundation is anti-gun when they report who paid for the study.

Here is the report for you reading pleasure.

Bloomberg At It Again

Having been proven wrong by ATF on the availability of gun trace data, Mayor Bloomberg has come out in favor of another gun control scheme that should not see the light of day. On Monday, Bloomberg joined with New Jersey Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy of Jersey City, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Mayor Douglas H. Palmer of Trenton, and a mother of a shooting victim, to announce that he plans to push congress to pass Lautenberg's bill to prohibit anyone on the terrorist watch list from purchasing a firearm.

Now we all know how accurate this watch list is. Remember that Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, was blocked from boarding flights because his name triggered a similar name on the government’s no-fly list. And, there are no due process protections when a name ends up on the watch list. But facts have never gotten in the way of Bloomberg in his thirst for publicity. Hopefully, with the departure of Alberto Gonzales, the Justice Department will withdraw its support for the bill. You can read more about Bloomberg's latest pet project here.

It's Official - Mark Warner to Run for U.S. Senate

Former Governor Mark Warner ended all of the speculation and made it official today in a video sent by email to supporters and reporters. According to Tyler Whitney of the Richmond Times Dispatch, Warner enters the race as the favorite as a poll shows him currently trouncing the two Republican candidates who have shown an interest in the race - 11th District Congressman Tom Davis (NRA "D" rating in 2006) and Former Governor Jim Gilmore (NRA "A" rated in 1997 and current NRA Board Member).

What will all of this mean for gun owners in Virginia? Mark Warner entered the Governor's race in 2001 carrying the baggage of statements he made as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia in 1993 where he supported a five-day waiting period for the purchase of a firearm (the only platform that then Attorney General Mary Sue Terry ran on in her campaign for Governor). In 1996, in his U.S. Senate campaign against John Warner, he said he supported the Clinton Gun Ban (a.k.a. the Assault Weapons Ban). As a candidate for Governor, he said he would sign a bill banning guns in recreation centers, veto repeal of hand-gun rationing (a.k.a. one handgun-a-month) but other than that would not support additional gun control laws. The NRA basically sat out that election because Mark Earley had voted for one gun-a-month in 1993 as a State Senator and Mark Warner quietly lobbied NRA to remain neutral. In the end, because Mark Warner stumbled over a response to a question in a debate (posed by yours truly) as to whether he thought the NRA had a positive impact in Virginia, NRA-ILA's James J. Baker sent out an eleventh hour letter saying Virginia gun owners should vote for Mark Earley. It proved to be too little too late and Mark Warner won by five points.

As Governor, Warner did not veto any of the pro-gun legislation that made it through the General Assembly. This includes full preemption as well as a partial roll-back of one gun-a-month - Delegate Bill Janis' bill providing that concealed handgun permit holders could by as many handguns in a month as they wanted, that were part of the 17 pro-gun bills that passed in 2004.

In truth, Warner had few hard decisions when it came to gun bills. No gun control bills passed in his four years in office and nothing like a full repeal of one gun-a-month ever passed so we don't know what he would have done. If he is elected to the Senate, it is likely it will be a wash for gun owners as far as his votes because John Warner has voted with us as much as he has voted against us. Mark Warner is no Harry Reid or Bill Richardson on guns. Both Reid and Richardson voted against the assault weapons ban. Warner at best will vote slightly better than John Warner but may vote for some gun control.

2008 is shaping up to be an interesting year.

Virginia's Changing Demographics and Gun Rights

I have written in the past (here and in VSSA's publication - The Bullet) that more liberal minded urbanites and suburbanites moving into rural areas are driving the fight that we have been engaged related to gun ranges. Much of this is liberal anti-gunners escaping the Beltway after retirement but a friend who is a political consultant said this also explains why Henrico County, a western suburban county in the Richmond area, has voted for Democrats two out of the last three statewide elections (with George Allen squeaking out a win in the county over Jim Webb last year). In Henrico, the arrival of the Philip Morris national headquarters brought with it many New York liberals.

Jim Beacon over at Beacon's Rebellion analyzes this in more detail after House Speaker Bill Howell's comments about the states "newest residents" and how they may not embrace the "share values we have in Virginia." Most commentators and Democrat detractors have focused on immigrants (both legal and illegal) in discussing this comment - trying to drive a wedge in this important election year. But Beacon, understanding what Howell was getting at, writes about the massive influx of out-of-staters, mostly northerners, into Virginia and how it is altering the commonwealth's political complexion. This will not only impact who controls the State Capitol but has implications for gun rights as well. It is no secret that as you move north from Virginia, that with the exception of Pennsylvania and Vermont, guns are tightly regulated.

Beacon's comments are worth the read. While he does not talk about guns, gun owners should think about the changes he does mention and what they will do to our issue by extension. I agree that the changing demographics are "something that we have to adjust to." I rework the question Beacon poses by substituting "changing economy" and "economic opportunity" with guns and gun rights to get the following: Will northern-born voters bring the same values and re-create the same kind of political climate that constricted the rights of gun owners in their home states? Are the attitudes of the newcomers toward guns and role of government compatible with Virginia maintaining its gun rights friendly atmosphere? Bottom line: Is Virginia's government destined to look more like New York's and New Jersey's and less like North Carolina's and Georgia's? If so, what will that mean for our firearms freedom?

You can read Beacon's post here.

State Senator Ken Cuccinelli Needs Your Help

Pro-Gun Sen. Ken Cuccinelli Needs Your Help! With the November 6 general election rapidly approaching, now is the time when pro-gun candidates need your help with their volunteer activities. Pro-gun stalwart Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37th) has a number of volunteer opportunities with which he needs assistance. If you live in western Fairfax County (37th State Senate District) and are able to help out with one or more volunteer activities like delivering yard signs, walking neighborhoods, or volunteering in the campaign office, it would be of great benefit to our mutual cause! For more information about these activities or other opportunities to help, you can contact Sen. Cuccinelli's campaign manager, Mike Joyce, at(804) 536-6067, or via e-mail at mike@cuccinelli.com.

MMM to Sue NRA

No, that 's not the Misled Mommies March, that would be "Calypso Louie" Farrakhan's Nation of Islam Million More Movement. Seems the NI blames the NRA for the fact that Philadelphia can't pass a handgun rationing bill. You can read about this new twist on gun control here.

Hat tip to NRA News' Cam Edwards for calling this to my attention.

Virginia Localities Continue to Attack Gun Owners

Over the last four years, Virginia gun owners have come under attack. Not by the Governor or the General Assembly, but by local boards of supervisors and local planning commissions. Since 2003, Middlesex County, Nelson County, Culpeper County, Hanover County, Albemarle County, Louisa County, and Rockbridge County, have all tried to pass restrictions on our right to shoot on private property. Some of these have been successful. Middlesex County limited the activity of a club to hold shooting competitions because the club has “hunting” in its name and thus considered any other activities involving firearms to be outside the approved activities of the club. In the case of Nelson County, the Board encouraged a shooting preserve that was looking to expand to remain within the county, only to then severely restrict their activity after the owners purchased the tract of land that would have suited their expansion plans. Culpeper County’s Board of Supervisors tried to limit the ability of property owners to shoot on private property tracts less than 20 acres in size. After receiving noise complaints from residents who had relocated near the range from more urban localities, Hanover County tried to regulate Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club out of business. Albemarle County is still considering restrictions on shooting after an incident where a county resident shot a neighbor’s cat. More recently, both Louisa and Rockbridge County tried to restrict shooting on private property.

In 2005, VSSA drafted legislation (HB 2282) to protect shooting ranges by establishing a state-wide noise standard. Localities would have been prohibited from shutting down a shooting range, or denying the application for new shooting ranges as long as the noise level did not exceed the state-wide standard. The legislation was based on a successful effort by the state of Arizona to establish a noise standard to protect shooting ranges. The bill passed the House of Delegates with little fanfare. However, by the time the bill was heard in the State Senate, the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) put on a full court press, driven by Nelson County, to defeat the bill. In the end, the statewide noise standard was removed, but language was passed in to law that stated “no locality shall submit a sport shooting range to noise control standards more stringent than those in effect at the time an application was submitted for construction or operation of the range.” The prior law referred to the time of construction, not the time of application. While this was not all that VSSA had hoped for, it was a start. The bill was patroned by Delegate Bill Janis, a VSSA member.

In 2006, Delegate Chris Saxman sponsored a bill (HB1537) that stated “no property that is within a sport shooting range shall be condemned except in accordance with general law.” Further, owners of sport shooting ranges would have been allowed to relocate any condemned portion of their shooting range within the jurisdiction of the condemning authority and any sport shooting range that relocated, or any owner would have had the same rights, powers, and privileges, with respect to the range, that existed prior to the condemnation. What passed was substantially different. The final version of the bill stated that any shooting range operating or approved for construction in the Commonwealth, that relocated to another site in the same locality, due to condemnation action, would not be subjected to any noise control standard more stringent than those in effect when the sport shooting range was originally approved for construction or began operating, whichever was earlier. The bill also prohibited a locality from subjecting a shooting range to noise control standards that are more stringent than the standards existing at the time the range was originally approved for construction or began operating, whichever was earlier. The original bill would have allowed a range to locate in any locality and not face more stringent noise standards but again, VACO lobbied hard and the State Senate amended the bill. Believing something that move us to a positive position was better than nothing, we again settled for less than we originally wanted.

Finally, in the 2007 Session of the General Assembly, VSSA member Delegate Bill Janis went to bat for the shooting sports community by sponsoring HB3109. This bill would have made the discharge of a firearm towards a subdivision within the range of the firearm, or to discharge a firearm towards any person or structure, when no barrier exists that would prevent the projectile from striking a person or structure, a Class 1 misdemeanor. The important part of the bill however was that with these changes, a locality would no longer be able to prohibit hunting generally within a half-mile radius of a subdivision, but would still be able to prohibit hunting within a subdivision. Again, the bill moved through the House of Delegates with relative ease. It finally made it out of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on the last day committee action could be taken, only to be defeated by a parliamentary procedure on the floor by former firearm community friend, Senator Russ Potts, in one last thumb of his nose after announcing he was not running for re-election.

What all of these bills have in common is that VACO made a full court press attempt to defeat the bills once they moved to the State Senate. VACO has virtually unlimited resources compared to VSSA. Very little of our member dues go to lobbying and the fundraising that we do comes no where near the amount of resources that are available to VACO through the dues paid by the member localities. VSSA needs your help. First, we need the support of every Virginia Gun Owner as well as every VSSA member to contribute to the VSSA War Chest. This is the fund we use for legislative action. Second, we need every Virginia gun owner to become a VSSA member and we need every VSSA member to recruit a new member. The larger our numbers, the louder our voice. Finally, we need every gun owner in Virginia with an email address to join our Grassroots Alert email list. By keeping you informed of actions that affect your gun rights, we can continue our recent successes in Culpeper, Louisa, and Rockbridge. You can join our Grassroots Alert list by sending an email to Raymond.Cahen@myvssa.org.

The threat to our gun rights is real. It is coming from us at the local level. We need your help to insure we can win the battles when they happen. Join VSSA and add your voice to other Virginia gun owners. If we stand together, we can win.