Northam Makes Gun Control Top Legislative Priority

The Washington Post has the story here.

Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam said Tuesday that expanding Medicaid in Virginia and implementing universal background checks for gun buyers will be two of his top legislative priorities after he takes office this weekend.

Calling it "non-partisan" and "commonsense" said he thinks he will have support from both sides of the aisle for his proposals.  So far, all of the patrons of the anti-rights bills are Democrats and have no GOP co-sponsors.

I had the opportunity to talk with NRATV's Cam Edwards about the just started legislative session and what Virginia gun owners can do to protect their rights during the next 60 days.

New Quinnipiac University Poll Addresses Gun Issues in Virginia

WTVR CBS 6 reports that a new Quinnipiac University poll shows that a substantial number of respondents support background checks for all gun buyers and reinstatement of handgun rationing:

The poll found that 94 to 5 percent, of voters, including 90 to 8 percent among Republicans, want the background checks.

Voters also support 62 to 32 percent a Virginia law, repealed in 2012, which limited a person to buying only one handgun per month, as opposed to current law which has no limit on handgun purchases.

Republicans oppose the limit 57 to 39 percent.

White men are divided, with 46 percent supporting the limit and 50 percent opposed. Every other listed party, gender, educational, age and racial group supports the limit on handgun purchases.

Virginia voter attitudes on other gun issues, according to the poll, are:

• Support 54 – 41 percent stricter gun laws in the state;
• 49 percent say it’s too easy to buy a gun in Virginia, while 2 percent say it’s too difficult and 38 percent say it’s “about right;”
• Voters say 66 – 23 percent that new gun laws will not interfere with the right to own guns;
• If more people carried guns, Virginia would be less safe, 53 percent of voters say, while 35 percent say it would be safer.

“Many observers have commented about how much Virginia has changed politically from its deep red history to a leaning Democratic hue in little more than a decade,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“They generally cite the Democrats’ ability to carry the state in the most recent presidential, U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races. But what also seems to be lining up in the Democratic column is Virginia voters’ values on some hot-button issues.”

When I see polls about back ground checks, I always want to see the actual question that was asked.  In this case, there was no additional information given, just a generic question:

31. Do you support or oppose requiring background checks for all gun buyers?

Given the actual question, I'm not surprised the number is so high.  It would be interesting to see where those numbers would fall if the poll had given some background before asking the question.  Knowing that so-called "universal" background checks barely got 51% support in Nevada last election and failed to pass in Maine, being informed on exactly what "background checks for all gun buyers" entails makes a big difference.  The same could be said for the question about stricter gun laws.  It was a one line question with no context.  Nothing was said about Virginia having crime rates that are at all time lows.  So, exactly what did those polls think stricter laws would accomplish?

The poll does indicate some important trends however.  Several years ago, VSSA members heard then Delegate and VSSA member Bill Janis at a VSSA Annual Meeting, discuss the changing demographics of the Commonwealth and what that would mean for our firearm freedoms going forward.  The trends on the "hot-button issues" that were part of this poll, including gun control, seem to confirm what Janis predicted at that meeting - that we need to come to grips that Virginia will change and we need to change with it.  Our parent organization, the NRA, has already moved in that direction by adding faces like National and World Champion Shooter Julie Golob,  Latino shooter Gabby Franco, and Colion Noir, a black pro-rights activist, to the faces spreading the NRA message.  We need to go beyond the "old white-guy" if we are going to preserve our freedoms.

I'll be on NRATV.com at 3:40 today talking about the poll with Cam Edwards of NRANews' Cam and Company.

General Assembly Veto Session Wrap-up

Photo by Richmond Times-Dispatch

Though it is disappointing, it is not completely unexpected that Governor McAuliffe's vetoes of several firearm related bills were upheld, as attempts in both the House and Senate fell one or more votes short of an override.  Here is how the Virginian Pilot described it:

At veto ceremonies, Gov. Terry McAuliffe often calls himself the “brick wall” against what he calls bad bills delivered by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

GOP lawmakers didn’t have enough sledgehammers to break down that wall Wednesday during a one-day session in which lawmakers handled budget amendments and addressed the governor’s vetoes.

And now, McAuliffe is the most successful brick wall in Virginia history – 111-0 in vetoes.

That’s 21 more vetoes in an administration than Gov. Jim Gilmore’s 90 in the late 1990s.

McAuliffe also takes the single-year record with 40, beating Gilmore’s 37 vetoes in 1998.

Votes were largely along party lines on the 40 vetoed bills, but some Democrats did join with Republicans in a few votes.  The one bright spot was McAuliffe's attempt to reinstate handgun rationing failed.  Unfortunately, the underlying bill, SB1023 will likely be vetoed now that the substitute was returned as being unconstitutional.  Governor McAuliffe said after all of the firearm bill vetoes were upheld:

“We blocked bills that would have injected firearms into volatile domestic violence situations, making victims less safe, not more. Others would have created an unwarranted expansion of persons allowed to carry concealed handguns, including service-members considered by the military as unqualified to bear arms to be issued a concealed carry permit.

“While we successfully stopped legislation that would have threatened the safety of Virginians, I am disappointed that the General Assembly did not reinstate Virginia’s One-Handgun-a-Month law. The legislature’s ill-advised step to repeal this common-sense policy has made Virginia a go-to state for criminals to purchase weapons in bulk again. You needn’t look further than the 627-count gun-trafficking indictment earlier this month that included 22 Virginians. One of those suspects even bragged on a police wiretap about how easy it was to acquire guns in Virginia. By preventing the reenactment of this rule, Republicans have ensured the Commonwealth will continue a negligent approach to preventing gun crime.”

The Second Amendment related bills that were vetoed are:

HB1432/SB1347 Switchblade knife; exception to carry concealed.
HB1582/SB1362 Concealed handgun permits; age requirement for persons on active military duty.
HB1852/SB1299 Concealed handguns; protective orders.
HB1853/SB1300 Victims of domestic violence, etc.; firearms safety or training course.

SB1023, a bill that limited the sharing of concealed handgun permit holder information with states that do not have reciprocity with Virginia, was amended in the nature of a substitute to reinstate handgun rationing and was an effective veto as McAuliffe knew it was not going to be approved.  Because the State Senate ruled the change to the originating bill was unconstitutional, it now goes back to the Governor where he will likely veto the underlying bill.  McAuliffe has previously vetoed similar legislation.

Yesterday illustrates how important it is that gun owners band together to elect a pro-gun governor this year.  We have passed a number of pro-rights bills in the last four years only to see them vetoed by McAuliffe.  Now is the time to elect a pro-rights Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General so that we can go on offense in the next General Assembly and pass into law the bills that McAuliffe has vetoed, as well as pass other pro-rights legislation.

RTD's A. Barton Hinkle Explains What's Wrong With Gun Rationing

It didn't take long after it was reported that 22 Virginia residents were involved in a firearm trafficking scheme and arrested by New York City authorities for people like Governor Terry McAuliffe to call for the reinstatement of handgun rationing:

Last week, the Richmond Time-Dispatch opinion writer A. Barton Hinkle had a column titled "Maybe it's time for gun owners and Muslim advocates to join hands."  Hinkle combined two issues into one to make the case that throwing a wide net to deal with bad people often negatively impact the majority who don't do bad things more than it impacts those who do.  On the gun issue, I found this to be a strong argument in response to Governor McAuliffe:

A few things about the story bear noting: Two of the ringleaders are violent convicts. Some of the bulk firearm sales were effected through straw purchases, which are illegal. And shipping the guns up to New York also is illegal. That is, after all, why authorities were able to bring charges in the first place.

This should chasten gun-control advocates, since it shows that the system works: Guns were seized and bad guys charged, and a successful operation makes an odd basis on which to build a case for even more restrictions. But the outcome also should chasten gun-control opponents, since laws against gun-running and straw purchases are part of gun control. Not every attempt at gun control is an abject failure.

Yet a bigger point needs drawing out. The trouble with the one-gun-a-month law is that it truncates the rights of all Virginians, in order to thwart the designs of a minuscule minority who want to run guns to New York. To the ordinary gun owner in Virginia, who follows the law and leaves other people alone unless they mess with him first, it must seem brutally unfair to restrict his right to keep and bear arms because of something somebody else did, or might do in the future.

Current laws worked.  Law enforcement caught a lot of bad actors.  And, they did so without the rest of us having to have our rights infringed.

Firearm Related Bills on the Docket in Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee on Thursday.

The House Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 will meet tomorrow afternoon at 4:00PM and VSSA's lobbying team will be there.  The bills on the docket are all anti-rights:

H.B. 1548 Concealed handgun permit; revocation of permit if delinquent in child support payments.
Patron: Hope
Revocation of concealed handgun permit; delinquency in child support payments. Provides for the revocation of an individual's concealed handgun permit if such individual (i) has failed to comply with a subpoena, summons, or warrant relating to paternity or child support proceedings or (ii) is delinquent in the payment of child support by 90 days or more or in an amount of $5,000 or more. If the obligor remedies the delinquency, reaches an agreement with the obligee or Department of Social Services to remedy the delinquency, or complies with the subpoena, summons, or warrant, he may reapply for a concealed weapons permit.

H.B. 1604 Firearms; criminal history record information check, penalties. Patron: Plum
Transfer of firearms; criminal history record information check; penalties. Adds a definition of "firearms show vendor" or "vendor" and requires that a criminal history record information check be performed on the prospective transferee before the vendor may transfer firearms at a gun show. Under current law, only licensed dealers must obtain such a check. The bill also requires that the promoter of a firearms show provide vendors access to licensed dealers who will conduct the criminal history record information check.

H.B. 1671 Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases; penalty. Patron: Simon
Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases; penalty. Prohibits individuals who are not licensed firearms dealers from purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period and establishes such an offense as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts from this provision (i) law-enforcement agencies and officers, (ii) state and local correctional facilities, (iii) licensed private security companies, (iv) persons who hold a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit, (v) persons whose handgun has been lost or stolen or who are trading in a handgun, (vi) purchases of handguns in a private sale, and (vii) purchases of antique firearms.

H.B. 1801 Firearms; display or distribution of information at shows. Patron: Spruill
Display or distribution of information at firearms shows. Requires a vendor or exhibitor at firearms shows to display at his booth or table a sign that contains his full legal name, the name and address of the business, if applicable, and his telephone number. The bill also provides that no vendor or exhibitor in the show may advertise that he is not required to obtain criminal history record information for potential customers or any other substantially similar statement.

H.B. 1864 Firearms show; State Police list of vendors or exhibitors. Patron: Rasoul
Firearms show; State Police list of vendors or exhibitors. Requires a promoter of a firearms show to include in his list of vendors or exhibitors submitted to State Police information regarding whether a vendor or exhibitor was selling or transferring a firearm and the vendor or exhibitor's dealer identification number, if applicable.

H.B. 1904 Firearms; penalty when accessible by children. Patron: Lopez
Firearms; access by children; penalty. Provides that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly authorize a child age four or younger to use a firearm or pneumatic gun.

H.B. 1909 Firearms magazines, certain; prohibition of sale, transfer, etc., penalty. Patron: Lopez
Prohibition of sale, transfer, etc., of certain firearms magazines; fine. Provides that any person, corporation, or other entity that manufactures, imports, possesses, purchases, sells, or transfers any large capacity magazine shall be subject to a $250 fine. The bill provides for exceptions to the prohibition, including the owner's registration with the Department of State Police following a criminal history record information check. The willful or intentional making of a materially false statement on the consent form required by the processes required for a criminal history record information check will subject the person making such statement to a $250 fine. The bill also provides that a registrant is limited to three large capacity magazines and must otherwise dispose of all magazines in excess of the limit. Finally, the bill outlines the registration process for anyone who owns a large capacity magazine.

H.B. 1923 Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks, penalty. Patron: Murphy
Transfer of firearms; penalty. Requires a background check for any firearm transfer and requires the Department of State Police to establish a process for transferors to obtain such a check from licensed firearms dealers. A transferor who fails to obtain a required background check and sells a firearm to another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts transfers between immediate family members, transfers that occur by operation of law, and transfers by the executor or administrator of an estate or by the trustee of a testamentary trust.

H.B. 1997 Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases; penalty. Patron: Morrissey
Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases; penalty. Prohibits individuals who are not licensed firearms dealers from purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period and establishes such an offense as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts from this provision (i) law-enforcement agencies and officers, (ii) state and local correctional facilities, (iii) licensed private security companies, (iv) persons who hold a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit, (v) persons whose handgun has been lost or stolen or who are trading in a handgun, (vi) purchases of handguns in a private sale, and (vii) purchases of antique firearms.

H.B. 2085 Firearms; purchase, possession, or transportation following convictions for certain misdemeanors. Patron: Murphy
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearms following convictions for certain misdemeanor crimes; restoration of rights; penalty. Prohibits a person who has been convicted of stalking, sexual battery, assault and battery of a family or household member, brandishing a firearm, or two or more convictions of assault and battery from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill provides for a process by which a person convicted of such crimes may petition the circuit court for a reinstatement of his rights to purchase, possess or transport a firearm.

H.B. 2232 Persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment; purchase, etc., ammunition. Patron: Surovell
Purchase, etc., of ammunition by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment; penalty. Provides that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person who has been involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment or who agreed to voluntary admission after being the subject of a temporary detention order to purchase, possess, or transport ammunition for a firearm. Current law only applies to the purchase, possession, or transportation of the firearm itself.

Keep up with the results live by following VSSA's Twitter and Facebook feeds.

All Anti-rights Bills Defeated in Senate Courts of Justice

After almost four hours, Senate Courts of Justice wrapped up a meeting that was dominated by consideration of firearm related bills.  The Committee defeated all of the anti-rights bills before the committee and move forward a handful of pro-rights bills. 

Update: At the time this was originally posted, it appeared that SB943 had passed the committee and been referred to Finance but a full vote recount was done and it failed miserably, so all of the bad bills heard today died.
Below is the list of bills bad bills that failed in Senate Courts this morning:

SB 768 - McEachin bill outlawing private sales - Defeated.

SB 798 Reinstating handgun rationing - Defeated.

SB 909 Prohibiting anyone subject to a protective order from possessing a firearm, without the protections of due process - Defeated.

SB 943: Prohibits 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. - Defeated*

SB 993 Prohibiting private transfer of firearms - Defeated.

SB 1108 - Revocation of CHP for delinquent child support - Defeated.

SB1178 Containing numerous anti-rights provisions - Defeated. 

SB 1179 Criminalize teaching children 4 or younger to use firearms or BB guns - Defeated.
 

SB 1429: Removal of firearms without due process by law enforcement or commonwealth attorney from persons posing substantial risk - Defeated.

There were also some good bills that were reported out of committee:

SB 689 - Lifetime CHPs -  Reported and referred to Senate Finance.

SB 1132 - Exception to the crime of possessing a firearm on school property if a person has a valid concealed handgun permit and possession of a concealed handgun occurs outside normal school hours. The bill also provides an exception if a person with a concealed handgun permit stores a concealed handgun in a motor vehicle in a parking lot, traffic circle or other means of vehicular ingress or egress to the school; current law allows possession while the person is in the motor vehicle in one of those areas.  - Reported.

SB1137 - Provides that lawful concealed carry permit holders shall not be subject to the provisions of certain local ordinances that make it unlawful for any person to transport, possess, or carry a loaded shotgun or loaded rifle in any vehicle on any public street, road, or highway within such locality - Reported

SB1155 - Replaces current requirements that law-enforcement agencies report information regarding confiscated firearms to the Department of State Police with a requirement that information be reported to a firearms tracing system maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice. The bill requires law-enforcement agencies to return stolen firearms to the rightful owner unless the person is prohibited from possessing the firearm or it is needed in a criminal prosecution. - Reported.  

SB1191 - Amends statute that makes it a Class 6 felony to possess a firearm on school property or school bus to require that the person must have knowingly possessed the firearm- Reported

Finally, Senator Dick Black's bill  (SB 828) that would have allowed firearms on the property of private and religious schools was stricken from the docket.

All of the bills reported this morning with the exception of SB 943 and SB 689 are headed to the full Senate for a final vote that will likely take place Wednesday or Thursday.  SB 943 and SB 689 must be taken up in Senate Finance to determine their fiscal impact.

Please contact your state senator and urge him or her to vote for the list of good bills above.


*Note: This is an edited version of a post from January 26th. When this was originally posted, based on initial votes in the committee, it was believed SB 943 had been reported by the committee and referred to Senate Finance.  VSSA tweeted live as did another gun rights group and gun ban advocate that the bill had reported.  When the votes were posted by the Senate clerks office, SB943 had been soundly defeated.  The Washington Post reported on January 27 that due to the confusion, the committee will vote on the bill a second time.
 

State Senate Early Home for Gun Control Bills in 2015

The Virginia General Assembly convenes on Wednesday at noon. Of the bills pre-filed so far, the State Senate is clearly the battleground.  A quick look at the bills assigned to Senate Courts of Justice shows us that the gun ban crowd will again attempt to ban all private sale of firearms (SB 768), reinstate gun rationing (SB 798), and the annual so-called "gun show loophole" bill (SB 694).  On the positive side, a bill creating lifetime concealed handgun permits (SB 689) has also be introduced.  So far, there have been no anti-rights bills referred to the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee.

Check this blog and the VSSA Twitter feed daily for updates on legislation when the General Assembly convenes.

Gun Ban Lobby Looks to States to Make Progress

The New York Times had this article last Friday on how the gun ban lobby is looking to states to try and get what they can't get at the federal level:

After a victory in November on a Washington State ballot measure that will require broader background checks on gun buyers, groups that promote gun regulations have turned away from Washington and the political races that have been largely futile. Instead, they are turning their attention — and their growing wallets — to other states that allow ballot measures.  

An initiative seeking stricter background checks for certain buyers has qualified for the 2016 ballot in Nevada, where such a law was passed last year by the Legislature and then vetoed by the governor. Advocates of gun safety — the term many now use instead of “gun control” — are seeking lines on ballots in Arizona, Maine and Oregon as well.

The story also mentioned Terry McAuliffe's effort to push gun control during the 2015 General Assembly:

Last month, Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, which has been the source of many illegally obtained guns in other states, proposed the restoration of the state’s limit on handgun sales to one a month to slow the “iron highway,” a nickname for gunrunning up Interstate 95 to states to the north. He would also seek mandatory background checks on gun sales at firearm shows, and end issuing gun permits to anyone restrained under domestic violence orders of protection.

“I own three guns,” said Mr. McAuliffe, a Democrat. “I love to take my three boys hunting. This is not gun restriction, this is anticrime. I couch it in economic terms.”

The thing is, nothing McAuliffe has proposed, which include so-called "universal" background checks and gun rationing, will do nothing to reduce crime.  In fact, since the repeal of Virginia's one gun-a-month law in 2012, Virginia's crime rate has continued it's downward spiral.  Between 2006 and 2012, firearm sales increased 101% while crime dropped 28%. 

Thankfully, even Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, who voted against repealing Virginia's gun rationing law gave McAuliffe's proposals a thumbs down:

The prospects for his gun proposals did not look great out of the gate. The governor “knows refighting the one-gun-a-month battle will not be productive,” Thomas K. Norment Jr., the Republican majority leader of the Virginia legislature, said in a statement.

It's not just Congress that the gun ban lobby is hoping to go around, in those states that allow referendum, they will look to even get around state legislatures.  Virginia is not one of the 17 states that allow ballot referendum.

McAuliffe Not Backing Down on Gun Control Proposals

WTVF Public Radio has the story here.

Despite criticism from gun-rights advocates and GOP legislative leaders, Governor McAuliffe is not retreating on a package of gun-control measures that he has proposed for the upcoming General Assembly session. McAuliffe says this was one of his campaign promises, so no one should be surprised.

What is surprising is that McAuliffe has chosen to use his limited political capital on this issue at the same time he plans to take another bite of the apple trying to convince the General Assembly to expand Medicaid as part of Obamacare.  His plate is going to be very full this session, and he is not likely to get either.

I'll be talking about this with Cam Edwards of Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company at approximately 6:30 tonight.

Update: video of the Sportsmen Channel interview is below.

Now is the Time to Contact Your Legislators About McAuliffe's Gun Control Proposals

While not surprising, but at the same time heartening, General Assembly GOP leaders were dismissive of Governor Terry McAuliffe's gun control proposals that he rolled out on Monday.  Having said that, Virginia gun owners should not get complacent and should let their voice be heard.  Contact your General Assembly members ahead of the January 14th opening of the 2015 session and let them know you oppose these proposals.  Here are some great points, courtesy of NRA-ILA, that you can use when contacting your state legislators:

Attempting to reimpose the ineffective one-handgun-per-month (gun rationing) restriction that Virginia repealed in 2012.

It's obvious that McAuliffe and anti-gun leader Michael Bloomberg, his political patron, are clearly out of touch with the views and priorities of ordinary Americans on this issue.  Last week's Pew Poll showed a majority of Americans believe owning a firearm makes you safer and it is more important to protect our firearm freedoms than to control the ownership of firearms.  Gun rationing schemes are archaic and ineffective.  Like every gun control law, one-gun-a-month restrictions only burden law-abiding citizens and do absolutely nothing to reduce violent crime.  Purchasers of firearms are already subject to criminal records checks, and further and arbitrary control of these legal items does nothing but unfairly burden Virginia’s law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen.

Seeking to arbitrarily strip some 9,000 Virginia residents of their right to hold concealed handgun permits for falling behind on child-support payments and pursuing prohibitions for people convicted of certain misdemeanor crimes from possessing a firearm.

Being behind on child-support payments is not relevant to your constitutional right to defend yourself and does not indicate that you are a violent person or a danger to others.  In many cases, individuals who are behind on child support payments may have simply hit on hard financial times and making it more difficult for them to defend themselves will only compound their difficulties and offer no public safety benefit.  Likewise, misdemeanor offenses should not warrant the permanent loss of Second Amendment rights.  No other civil right is lost in the Commonwealth for conviction of misdemeanor offenses.  McAuliffe clearly wishes to treat the Right to Keep and Bear Arms as a second class civil right.

Attempting to expand background checks.

Anyone engaged in the business of buying and selling firearms for livelihood and profit must be federally licensed as a firearm dealer (FFL) and thus there is no such thing as a “private vendor.”  A gun dealer must maintain a record of every firearm received from, or transferred to, another person or dealer and any further expansions of the law will have no impact on criminal activity.  Today, gun control activists like McAuliffe are trying to expand this system to all firearm transfers at gun shows, under the banner of “universal” background checks; an innocent sounding title for what should really be called “universal registration.”  What they won’t tell you is that no background check system will ever be truly “universal” because criminals will not submit themselves to such system and therefore their anti-gun approach once again singles out individuals who are law-abiding citizens.  The NRA opposes these misleading proposals and will work diligently to defeat this legislation.

You can find your Delegate and State Senator by clicking here.  

Gun Control Likely a Tall Mountain to Climb for McAuliffe

That's the assessment of this analyis piece by Skip Wood on WJLA ABC 7.  According to Wood, Terry McAuliffe's dissing hundreds of thousands of NRA members in Virginia impressed former Govenor Doug Wilder:

“He has no idea as to how impressed I was with that,” Wilder said recently over the phone before recounting a conversation he had with McAuliffe soon after the debate. “I told him, I said, ‘Terry, I don’t want you to think that it changed my view in terms of endorsement, but it strengthened it. As I said to you, I wanted a reason to have to say that this is why I’m endorsing and supporting you. I want to be able to say that to the people of Virginia.’

“And he didn’t really try to paper it over. He said what he had to say. . .To take on a powerful lobbying group like the NRA, in Virginia, is not the easiest thing to do.”

But, as Wood notes, that is not necessarily going to get gun control passed in the pro-rights dominated House of Delegates.  Pointing to the defeat of federal gun control after the Newtown school shooting, Wood noted a similar fate likely awaits McAuliffe in the General Assembly.

Things have changed since Wilder was Governor.  Just two sessions ago, the General Assembly passed and Govenror McDonnell signed a bill repealing the signature acheivement of Wilder's term in office - one gun-a-month.

VSSA's Repeal of Gun Rationiong Raffle

July 1, 2012 is the day that gun rationing officially ends in Virginia.  To celebrate this great accomplishment, VSSA is raffling the Sig Sauer P250 2Sum in 9mm.

You get a full size frame and a compact frame with one trigger action that you insert so that you can go from full size to compact in a matter of seconds or vice versa.  It's like getting two pistols for the price of one.  All you have to do to get a chance to win this combo is click here to download tickets, complete and mail with your donation to VSSA, PO Box 1258, Orange, VA 22960.  The address is on the raffle tickets. Click here to find out more about this combo.  Prize drawing will be July 1, 2012 so download and send in your tickets now.

Quinnipiac University Poll Ties Lower Ratings for McDonnell, Legislature, To Repeal of Gun Rationing

The Richmond Times Dispatch reported this morning that Quinnipiac University has released a poll showing approval ratings for Governor Bob McDonnell and the General Assembly have dropped significantly, and ties the lower rating to the passage and signing of two "controversial" bills including repeal of Virginia's gun rationing law:

“The governor’s numbers are down, from a net positive 34 percentage points last month to a net 21 points today, but he’s still above the 50-percent mark,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “The controversy over the ultrasound and handgun bills would be a logical explanation for the decline in his approval rating, which had been above 60 percent for much of last year.”

Brown noted that McDonnell is still above 50 percent.  President Obama would probably love to have that 53% rating right now.  And Congress would probably love to have the 38% approval rating that the General Assembly is receiving in the poll.  Brown stated that until this poll, Virginia had been the only state surveyed by Quinnipiac in which the state legislature had received a net positive job approval.

It is refreshing that elected officials are willing to do what is right rather than worry about how it may affect their polls.  Speaking only of the repeal of gun rationing, there was no proof that the law was effective at anything but inconveniencing law-abiding citizens.  A bi-partisan majority in both houses of the legislature (albeit only two Democrats in the Senate) voted to repeal gun rationing.

If you have not already done so, please be sure to contact Governor McDonnell and thank him for signing the bills repealing Virginia's gun rationing law.

Families of Tech Shooting Victims Ask McDonnell to Veto Repeal of Handgun Rationing

On Saturday, the Roanoke Times reported that Governor Bob McDonnell spoke with the families of victims of the 2007 mass shootings at Virginia Tech and a student who survived the attack.  They asked the Governor to veto HB 940, Delegate Lingamfelter's bill repealing Virginia's handgun rationing law.

McDonnell told the families that his staff would contact them by Tuesday to let them know what he decides. McDonnell is attending a National Governors Association conference in Washington. D.C. this weekend.

Lori Haas, the mother of one of the students injured in the Tech shootings, is a gun control activist.  She told the Times that repealing one gun a month will make it easier for criminals to get guns.  The fact is, the law was in place with the Tech shooter bought his guns, and he bought them legally in accordance with the law.  So, please tell me, how will keeping the law stop a would-be criminal from getting more than one gun if they really want it?

Contact the Governor's office and politely urge him to sign HB 940 as he promised he would when he campaigned for Governor.

Senate Courts Agenda Full of Firearm Related Bills Wednesday

On Wednesday, January 25th, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee is scheduled to hear a number of firearm related bills. The meeting will begin 1/2 hour after the adjournent of the Senate Session.

Among the pro-rights bills on the agenda is SB 323, Senator Carrico's bill to repeal handgun rationing ("one gun-a-month"), two bills to repeal the option for localities to require fingerprinting for concealed handgun permit applications (SB 67 and SB 670), and two bills to enact Castle Doctrine (SB 4, SB 64).

Also on the agenda is anti-rights Senator Don McEachin's bill to prohibit the private sale of firearms (SB 379). If McEachin's bill passes, it would make the private sale of firearms a Class 2 misdemeanor. Senator McEachin also has SB 648, a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for a person who is under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs to carry a loaded firearm in public. Both bills are a solution in search of a problem and should be defeated.

Please contact members of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and urge them to support the pro-Second Amendment bills and oppose the anti-rights bills.

Bills Introduced to Repeal Handgun Rationing

Bills have been introduced in the Virginia House and Senate to repeal Virginia's Handgun Rationing Law.  Repeal of the law is the top priority for VSSA during the 2012 legislative session.  Follow all of the firearm and sportsmen legislation on the VSSA Legislative Tracking form and be sure to subscribe to VSSA's Twitter feed for timely updates.

McDonnell Cautious on Campus Gun Ban, Reiterates Support for Repealing Gun Rationing

The Roanoke Times reports this morning that Governor Bob McDonnell said while he would have to see the legislation, at this time he would not be inclined to sign a bill banning colleges from prohibiting firearms on campus.

"There is some legitimate debate about whether an armed citizenry can stop problems, whether it's on a college campus or any other venue, but I'd have to see what the law looks like," McDonnell said.

"I would not be inclined to support that kind of legislation."

The Governor noted he doubts such legislation is likely to pass the General Assembly this year.  But he also had good news for gun owners by restating his support for repealing Virginia's handgun rationing law.

McDonnell said Tuesday that he remains supportive of another gun rights priority. The governor said he would sign a bill to repeal the state's one-gun-per-month limit on handgun purchases if lawmakers send it to him. McDonnell voted for the restriction as a legislator two decades ago because of concerns about "guns-for-drugs traffic" between Virginia and the Northeast.

But McDonnell said the state has since enacted additional measures to address those concerns "without having an arbitrary volume restriction on firearms."

The General Assembly convenes on January 11 and repealing handgun rationing is VSSA's top priority.

Senate Courts Setting Up Subcommittee to Kill Pro-gun House Bills

The General Assembly is winding down and there are a number of pro-rights House bills still to be heard in Senate Courts of Justice. Among them are repeal of handgun rationing (one gun-a-month), and the Castle Doctrine. But this morning, anti-rights Richmond Senator and Chairman of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, Senator Henry Marsh (D-16) announced the creation of a new “Sub-Committee” which will hear all the firearm related bills passed by the House of Delegates. This "Sub-committee" is stacked with anti-rights Democrats and a sometime pro-rights Republican, and would become a "killing field" for a number of pro-rights bills that have already garnered strong bi-partisan support in the House.

Northern Virginia anti-rights Senator "Toddy" Puller (D-36) will Chair this new special Sub-Committee and will be joined by her fellow rabid anti-gun colleagues; Senator Marsh (D-16), Senator Lucas (D-18) and Senator Howell (D-32). The sole Republican member of the Sub-Committee will be Senator Quayle (R-13).

As of this morning, no date or time has been set to for the special Sub-Committee to meet but VSSA will notify you as soon as to the time and date.

Listed below are the bills which the special Senate Sub-Committee will likely hear:

HB26, authored by Delegate Thomas Wright (R-61), would prohibit the Clerk of the Court from requiring an applicant for a concealed handgun permit to provide any documentation or information not authorized by the law or prescribed by Virginia State Police.

HB49 sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, repeals one-gun-a-month.

HB52, sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would allow a court to waive a $25 dollar fine upon presentation of the permit to the court, if a person fails to display his concealed carry permit when requested by a law-enforcement officer.

HB79, sponsored by Delegate R. Lee Ware (R-65), prohibits the Clerk of Court from publicly disclosing concealed handgun permit application information unless the permittee has provided written consent for the release of the application or information. The information would still be available to law-enforcement acting in the performance of their duties.

HB108, also introduced by Delegate Cole (R-88), would prohibit agents of localities or localities themselves from participating in compensated confiscation (“gun buy-backs”) schemes unless the governing body of such a locality authorizes such a program. The locality would then have the option of selling the firearms by auction to a federally licensed dealer (FFL) or disposing of the firearm in any other appropriate manner.

HB109, also sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would repeal the statute which allows the governing body of any county to require the sellers of pistols and revolvers to furnish the Clerk of the Circuit Court with the name and address of the purchaser, date of purchase and the number, make, and caliber of the gun.

HB171, authored by Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96), would prohibit property owners, employers, or a business entity from establishing or enforcing any policy prohibiting a person who may lawfully possess a firearm from storing a firearm in a locked motor vehicle in a publicly accessible parking lot.

HB236, sponsored by Delegate Bill Janis (R-56), would remove the prohibition imposed by localities on hunting within a half-mile of subdivisions.

HB854, sponsored by Delegate Will Morefield (R-3), would provide immunity from civil prosecution if someone uses force, including deadly force, to defend themselves and their loved ones if attacked in their home by someone who has entered unlawfully (Castle Doctrine).

HB870, sponsored by Delegate Benjamin Cline (R-24), would repeal the language that allows localities to fingerprint applicants for a concealed handgun permit (the Senate has already killed its version of this legislation).

HB885, sponsored by Delegate Cliff Athey (R-18), would allow any person who may lawfully posses a firearm and is carrying a handgun while in a personal, private vehicle or vessel to keep the firearm secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle or vessel (the Senate has already passed Senator Vogel's version of this bill and it is about to be approved in the House and headed to the Governor's desk).

HB1092, sponsored by Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark (R-6), would give retired law-enforcement the ability to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

HB1191, introduced by Delegate H. Morgan Griffith (R-8), would allow a circuit court judge to authorize the Clerk of Court to issue concealed handgun permits in instances where the application is complete, the background check does not indicate that the applicant is disqualified, and, after consulting with the local sheriff or police department, there are no other questions or issues surrounding the application.

HB490, sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would direct the Department of State Police, in cooperation with the Secretary of Public Safety, to develop a plan to allow the State Police to issue lifetime concealed handgun permits to Virginia residents. The Department and the Secretary shall submit the plan, and any recommended legislative changes to implement the plan, to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety and the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice by October 15, 2010.

HB1070, sponsored by Delegate Clay Athey (R-18), would provide that a person who has a valid concealed handgun permit may not be barred from carrying a concealed handgun in any place or facility designated or used by the Governor, any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or any other governmental entity as an emergency shelter or for the purpose of sheltering persons.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the new "Special" subcommittee which includes a list of all the bills assigned to it. It is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM.

Repeal of Restaurant Ban Nears Final Votes

Late yesterday afternoon, the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 recommended reporting SB334 (Senator Hanger's version of the "Restaurant Ban" repeal) and SB408 (Senator Vogel's bill allowing individuals that do not hold Concealed Handgun Permits -CHPs to carry firearms in locked containers in their car or boat) without amendments. This is important because that means, should they pass the full House in their current form, they will then head to the Governor for his signature. They first have to clear the full committee and that should happen next week.

Please call and email members of the Militia, Police, and Public Safety Committee and urge them to support SB334 and SB408.

On a related matter, Senate Courts of Justice will meet Monday morning, in addition to House versions of bills they have already passed before crossover, they still need to hear HB49, repeal of "One gun-a-month." The bill could come up on Monday's docket, or Wednesday (check back later today or Saturday for an update). It is important that you contact the following Senators now and politely urge them to support HB 49 when it comes up in committee:

Quayle, Norment, Edwards, Reynolds, Obenshain, McDougle, Deeds, Hurt, Petersen

Simply click on the name above to fine their contact information.

One Handgun-a-month Passes House

Repeal of one handgun-a-month passed the House by a vote of 61 -37

Delegate Ken Plum got up to speak to the bill, made the tried and true statement that Virginia would once again become the "gun running capital of the nation." He also said it would send the wrong message to companies considering moving to Virginia.

Delegate Marshall stood up to reply to Delegate Plum. He gave a history lesson on why we protected the right in the Constitution.

Delegate Lingamfelter, the sponsor of the bill stood up and spoke for the bill. He said if you look at the merits of the underlying law we are trying to repeal, we have exempted a number of people already. We have technological advances that we did not have 17 years ago that will keep firearms out of the hands of the wrong people.