Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

So earlier today I received an e-mail response from Sen. Frank Wagner regarding my e-mail to him asking him to support the castle doctrine bill (and others). In his response he said the he would vote for all gun bills if he has the opportunity.

He also mentioned the new "special sub committee" that the Senate formed to try and kill all the gun bills. He noted that virtually all of the pending bills would go through this committee, with the exception of SB 854, the Castle Doctrine bill. He said that one was going to heard today.

I checked the status of the bill this evening, and from what I can tell, it has passed. Now, I'm not sure if that means all it needs is the Governor's signature, but it seems to at least have gotten to the next step.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504 ... +sum+HB854

03/03/10 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice (9-Y 6-N)

Anyone have any additional info on this?

03/03/10 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice (9-Y 6-N)

Does that mean it was canned?

Hopefully I'm wrong.

Yea, I'm not exactly sure what that means...

I've seen where other bills were 'passed by' for the day in front of the HOD. But this says indefinitely...and it's a committee. So......?

Passed By Indefinitely (PBI) - Action to allow a committee to reconsider legislation at a later meeting. If the committee takes no further action, the bill is dead.

Source: http://www.virginia.edu/governmentalrel ... ssary.html

Dang, not at all what I was hoping for.

I found 1 reference to another bill that was passed by Indefinitely and the phrase (Killed) was added after, so it sounds like it has met its death in the Democratic controlled Senate,

So that's where bills go to die?

Any chance of a resurrection with calls and emails?

MountainCat wrote:So that's where bills go to die?

Any chance of a resurrection with calls and emails?

See this other thread. If the senate violates their own rules and its overturned (the death star committee) then they'll be forced to reconsider all those bills - possibly on the full floor of the senate. Send the e-mail and we will see.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3961&view=unread#unread

From NRA-ILA:

Virginia: "Castle Doctrine" Legislation Defeated in Senate Committee


In another sign that the Senate Courts of Justice Committee is out of touch with the common beliefs of the citizens of Virginia, a bill designed to codify the common law principle known as the "Castle Doctrine," was defeated by a vote of 9 to 6.

House Bill 854, sponsored by Delegate Will Morefield (R-3), would have provided immunity from civil prosecution if someone used force, including deadly force, to defend themselves and their loved ones if attacked in their home by someone who has entered unlawfully.

This is just another example of the difference between the House and Senate chambers in Virginia and how they view your individual rights. The House of Delegates passed HB854 on February 16 by a margin of 75-24.

Please contact the members of the Committee who voted in favor of your self-defense rights and thank them for the support!

State Senator Ryan McDougle (R-4)
(804) 698-7504

State Senator Mark Obenshain (R-26)
(804) 698-7526

State Senator Robert Hurt (R-19)
(804) 698-7519

State Senator Roscoe Reynolds (D-20)
(804) 698-7520

State Senator Fred Quayle (R-13)
(804) 698-7513

State Senator Thomas Norment (R-3)
(804) 698-7503

If the senate violates their own rules

Unfortunately, the full committee voted HB454 down (no rule violation), so it is probably toast, for this year and likely next year. Also unfortunate is the reality that this bill is really not a gun bill, but rather a basic right to self defense bill. Of course, this bill also limits the possiblity of lawyer fees garnered from innocent citizens who "harm" an illegal intruder or other threat to personnal safety.

Good news: The entire VA Senate is up for election NEXT year.

Bad News: We probably won't see this bill again until 2012.

well I don't give a damn what these weasels say, I have a castle doctrine at my castle......

ftd wrote:

If the senate violates their own rules

Unfortunately, the full committee voted HB454 down (no rule violation), so it is probably toast, for this year and likely next year. Also unfortunate is the reality that this bill is really not a gun bill, but rather a basic right to self defense bill. Of course, this bill also limits the possiblity of lawyer fees garnered from innocent citizens who "harm" an illegal intruder or other threat to personnal safety.

Good news: The entire VA Senate is up for election NEXT year.

Bad News: We probably won't see this bill again until 2012.

I saw that. At least we got the restaurant ban repeal and a couple of other things. That was a big for me too...

zephyp wrote:[quote
Good news: The entire VA Senate is up for election NEXT year.


...

well correct me if I am wrong on this but wasn't it mostly NOVA reps that voted this down? and if so, how is that going to change in the next election?

This makes me sick to my stomach. I had no idea that common sense could be so blinding as to sheild what's right and wrong from the people who have the authority to enact bills like this one. Oh well, we'll do what we can, and in the meantime, God help anyone who breaks into my house, because unfortunately for them, I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

i've come to terms with the fact that my home is my castle and therefore castle doctrine applies to any unfortunate intruder that enters...that is of course if they get past the moat and boiling hot cauldrons of oil being dumped from above, oh and the archers too....hehe...i kid...seriously, though, it's my house and i'm not retreating for anyone...

"GS78 » Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:21:24

well I don't give a damn what these weasels say, I have a castle doctrine at my castle...."

Our judges say thats OK, 'cause they shoot weasles too...
Amen brother!

well correct me if I am wrong on this but wasn't it mostly NOVA reps that voted this down?

True, plus Senator Marsh, the committeee chairman, from Richmond, and Senator Deeds (who lost the race for governor last year), who is from southwest VA, I Think.

and if so, how is that going to change in the next election?

We need to change who runs the Senate and makes the comittee chairs and member selections. Now it is the Democrats who seem to be, in general, less friendly to gun and individual rights issues.

This committee is stacked with Dems who are generally anti. It will be interesting to see if this committee lets any of the gun bills through.

But change the composition of the senate in the next election and we should get a more gun friendly legislature with more friendly committees.

If you want to help accomplish this you should join VDCL which polls the candidates for every state election with a survey, and then vote accordingly on election day. We should all be contatcting our reps and senators (both state and federal), and the candidates during election campaigns, to let them know how we feel about what they are doing, especially about guns. It is our government if we are willing to work hard at taking it back via pressure and elections.

ftd wrote:We need to change who runs the Senate and makes the comittee chairs and member selections. Now it is the Democrats who seem to be, in general, less friendly to gun and individual rights issues.

Well, it should be intuitively obvious to even the most casual passerby that "we" arent going to change squat unless enough of "we" get together and vote decent folks into office. The problem is there are enough of "them" in certain districts that "we" lose. Once that happens then there is nothing "we" can do except rant, rave, and watch.

Apologies for sounding puckish but its the stark reality of our current situation since the "we won" crowd is standing proudly at the tiller oblivious of the approaching cliff.

zephyp wrote:

ftd wrote:We need to change who runs the Senate and makes the comittee chairs and member selections. Now it is the Democrats who seem to be, in general, less friendly to gun and individual rights issues.

Well, it should be intuitively obvious to even the most casual passerby that "we" arent going to change squat unless enough of "we" get together and vote decent folks into office. The problem is there are enough of "them" in certain districts that "we" lose. Once that happens then there is nothing "we" can do except rant, rave, and watch.

Apologies for sounding puckish but its the stark reality of our current situation since the "we won" crowd is standing proudly at the tiller oblivious of the approaching cliff.

Thats was my point. I am NOT moving to NOVA just to vote up there. WE always put (R)'s in the house and senate, which is one of the reasons I live where I do. The fact is the anti gun culture permeates D.C. and the surrounding areas of NOVA, and Maryland. I sometimes wonder if they really are anti-gun, or could it be they are really pro-control. I mean that its ok for them to own guns, they just don't want "everybody" to own them.