VA-ALERT: Legislative Update, ACTION ITEM 1/19/12

[OakRidgeStars]

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ACTION ITEM

We need to act on the following bills:

SB 245, Senator Obenshain's bill that provides that nothing in the Emergency Services and Disaster Law shall be interpreted to limit or prohibit the possession, carrying, transportation, sale, or transfer of firearms, is going to be heard in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Monday, January 23, 45 minutes after the Senate adjourns.

To send an email to YOUR Senator automatically, click on the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/7gnhykx

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HB 139, Delegate Cole's Constitutional Carry bill - allows concealed carry without a permit in most places. Permits will continue to be available.

To send an email to YOUR Delegate automatically, click on the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/7c9ptfj


NEW BILLS - ANTI-FREEDOM

HB 1179, Delegate McClellan, makes it a crime if the theft or loss of a firearm isn’t reported within 48 hours of when the victim notices his gun is stolen. As if the victim hasn’t been punished enough by having his gun lost or stolen, the State would pile on by charging him with a crime!

HB 1226, Delegate Torian, gives public universities and colleges the power to ban firearms, including those carried by Concealed Handgun Permit holders. This will only encourage more attacks like Virginia Tech experienced in 2007. We need to allow those with permits to be able to defend themselves, not make them more helpless.

HB 1257, Delegate Sickles, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”

SB 648, Senator McEachin, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”

HB 1275, Delegate Kory, requires that a training course for a concealed handgun permit be a handgun course. Safety training for long guns is applicable to handguns, too. Also, hunter safety training is acceptable and that usually involves long guns. The training requirement should be kept broad.


NEW BILLS - PRO-FREEDOM

SB 563, Senator Ruff, a cleanup bill that makes some technical and minor changes to the concealed carry code. Drafted by VCDL.

SB 612, Senator Black, long guns background checks are to run through the federal NICS system, bypassing the Virginia State Police. Handguns checks continue to be run through the State Police. There are a series of bills to take away background check from the State Police due to recent dismal performance caused by understaffing.

HB 1223, Delegate Hope, allows concealed carry with a permit and **open carry without a permit** at GAB, but no other weapons as defined in the concealed carry laws (nun-chucks, switchblades, etc.)


CASTLE DOCTRINE UPDATE

On Wednesday evening a subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice heard Delegate Habeeb's HB 14, a Castle Doctrine bill that provides civil immunity (but not criminal) if someone unlawfully enters another's dwelling and makes an overt act towards a person lawfully in that dwelling. The bill was modified to make the Commonwealth Attorneys happy - it made it clear that the civil immunity would not become part of the jury's instructions and that it would clarify that it would have no bearing on criminal aspects of the case.

The bill was passed by for now as the subcommittee lost its quorum when one member had to go to testify on a bill in another committee.

HB 14 (and three other Castle Doctrine bills: HB 47, HB 48, HB 925) will be heard on Monday in the Criminal subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice 1/2 hour after the House adjourns. VCDL continues to stand NEUTRAL on the Castle Doctrine bills.

For VCDL's analysis of Castle Doctrine in Virginia, see:

http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.s ... 06&FILTER=

For a listing of all gun bills and VCDL's position on them, see our legislative tracking tools at:

http://www.vcdl.org/static/2012leg.html




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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]

[Jakeiscrazy]

Delegate Hope, allows concealed carry with a permit and **open carry without a permit** at GAB,

What's GAB and why is there are there asterisk around open carry?

[OakRidgeStars]

General Assembly Building

Currently, you can only carry concealed in the GAB.

[Chasbo00]

General Assembly Building

Currently, you can only carry concealed in the GAB.

Actually I believe you just have to have a CHP. You can open carry with a CHP. This is not a statute, but rather a rule put out by the joint rules committee.