VCDL Lobby Day results and status

[wittmeba]

Here is an update from the VCDL Lobby Day in Richmond, Va yesterday Jan 15, 2018.

http://www.vcdl.org/

Overall it was an excellent day for gun owners! A large number of gun bills were heard in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and the antis didn't fare very well. They got one bill through and it is going to Senate Finance, which is not a good place to be:

* 2 pro-gun bills moved forward
* 1 pro-gun bill was carried over to next year
* 2 pro-gun bills were withdrawn by the patron
* 0 pro-gun bills were defeated by the committee

* 17 anti-gun bills were defeated by the committee
* 1 anti-gun bill moved forward (with 2 other identical bills rolled into it)

The two pro-gun bills that moved forward were: 1) Senator Black's SB 48, Constitutional Carry, and 2) Senator Chase's SB 715, which allows firefighters and EMS to carry concealed while on duty with a CHP. Both bills were sent to the Senate Finance Committee, where we will have to fight for them again.

All but one of the gun-control bills, including Universal Background Checks which was being pushed hard, went down in flames. A couple of those votes were uncomfortably close as Republican Senator Stuart unexpectedly voted with the Democrats on those two bills.

Except for the Fire/EMS concealed-carry bill, the Democrats, sadly, voted wrong on everything: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen.

The one anti-gun bill that passed out of committee, a bump-stock ban bill, was greatly narrowed and is headed to the Senate Finance Committee, where there will be another chance to kill it. We will be watching that bill closely.

The remaining Senate gun bills will be heard Wednesday, shortly after the Senate adjourns for the day. (Bob Sadtler and I will be there around 1 pm, but how long we might have to wait for the committee to meet is unknown.) If you wish to attend the hearing to show support, let me know.

The details of the bills heard today are below. Senator names in UPPER CASE crossed party-lines with their vote. For Republicans that means they voted incorrectly and for Democrats that means that they voted correctly.

If your Senator is on the committee and voted wrong on one or more bills, a *polite* telephone call or email to them is in order! You should also thank those that voted correctly.

PRO-GUN BILLS THAT PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE AND WERE SENT TO FINANCE

SB 48, Black, Constitutional Carry was sent to the Senate Finance Committee by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

-

SB 715, Chase, Fire/EMT concealed carry was improved with amendments and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee by a 12 to 3 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake, EDWARDS, DEEDS, PETERSEN
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas

PRO-GUN BILLS THAT WERE CARRIED OVER UNTIL NEXT YEAR

SB 215, Cosgrove, Circuit Court Clerk to send out CHP renewal notices by mail was to be carried over until next year

PRO-GUN BILLS THAT WERE PULLED FOR THIS YEAR BY THE PATRON (DEAD)

SB 565, Vogel, protective order is a 45-day CHP was stricken by the patron

-

SB 566, Vogel, free firearms training for victims of domestic violence was stricken by the patron

ANTI-GUN BILLS THAT WERE DEFEATED AND ARE DEAD FOR THIS YEAR

SB 2, Ebbin, lowered the threshold for alcohol on carrying a gun to a ridiculous "under the influence" standard - DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

-

SB 5, Ebbin, Universal background checks - DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

SB 145, Edwards, "licensed dealer" must do background checks was rolled into SB 5 and is now DEAD!

SB 412, Lucas, Universal background checks was rolled into SB 5 and is now DEAD!

SB 432, Wexton, "Gun Show Loophole" was rolled into SB 5 and is now DEAD!

SB 447, Surovell, Universal background checks was rolled into SB 5 and is now DEAD!

-

SB 119, Favola, punishes gun owners who don't report a lost or stolen firearm fast enough was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

SB 288, McClellan, punishes gun owners who don't report a lost or stolen firearm fast enough was rolled into SB 119 and is now DEAD!

SB 433, Wexton, punishes gun owners who don't report a lost or stolen firearm fast enough was rolled into SB 119 and is now DEAD!

-

SB 276, Barker, allows gun confiscation, with due process, based solely on someone's word that a person is a "substantial risk" to themselves or other was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

-

SB 360, McClellan, bans guns at a "permitted event," such as a parade, rally, etc. was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

SB 63, Favola, bans guns at a "permitted event," such as a parade, rally, etc. was rolled into SB 360 and is now DEAD!

-

SB 665, Deeds, adds Charlottesville and Albemarle to where loaded guns with magazines over 20 rounds in them are not allowed without a CHP (18.2-287.4) was DEFEATED by a 8 to 7 vote
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen, STUART

-

SB 668, Deeds, allows local government to ban guns in government buildings was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 voter!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

-

SB 732, Favola, strips away gun rights for certain MISDEMEANORS was DEFEATED by a 8 to 7 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen, STUART

-

SB 794, Marsden, "kitchen sink" bill that bans certain magazines and "assault weapons," and also bans loaded long guns being carried if they have a magazine that will hold more than 10 rounds was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote!
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, Norment, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Reeves, Chafin, Sturtevant, Peake
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen

SB 742, Spruill, "kitchen sink" bill rolled into SB 974 and is now DEAD!

ANTI-GUN BILLS THAT PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE AND WERE SENT TO FINANCE

SB 1, Ebbin, bump-stock ban was modified to narrow the ban and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee by a 4 to 11 vote.
Voting PRO-RIGHTS: Obenshain, McDougle, Reeves, Chafin
Voting ANTI-RIGHTS: Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Petersen, NORMENT, STUART, STANLEY, STURTEVANT, PEAKE

SB 113, Favola, bump-stock ban rolled into SB 1 and is headed to Senate Finance.

SB 676, Deeds, bump-stock ban rolled into SB 1 and is headed to Senate Finance.

[smltooner]

Thx for the update

[wittmeba]

One more update with some details, personal comments from Phil Van Cleave (Pres. VCDL) and links. Some links may not work correctly or point to facebook but please view what you can.


VCDL ( https://www.vcdl.org/ ) Lobby Day Rally

RALLY

The rally began at 11 am. Hundreds of gun owners were there, cold weather be damned

I thanked the following people who make VCDL a great organization and helped make Lobby Day a success. They do so behind the scenes and consequently are not always recognized:

Bruce Jackson
Dennis O'Connor
Jim Snyder
Al Steed Jr.
Patricia Webb
Gary Moeller
Bob Sadtler
John Pierce
Ed Levine
Leyla Myers
Tess Ailshire
and the Lobby Day Team Leaders

The speakers this year were:

Professor John Lott Jr., who spoke about several key topics, including how gun control disproportionally has a negative affect on women and minorities, especially those that are poor. He pointed out that none of the public mass shootings would have been stopped by any of the proposed gun control laws.

Elizabeth Baran, a brave and sweet young lady, related her real-life nightmare that began with an ex-boyfriend's failed suicide attempt. He attacked her, tied her up, raped her, beat her, and finally pounded her head into the concrete over and over in an attempt to kill her. She managed to talk him into letting her live. The boyfriend is in prison, but has sworn to kill her when he gets out. His family has also threatened her. The attack was so violent that it left her with brain damage and other disabilities. She is now a strong advocate for women being armed and has a Maryland concealed carry permit.

Delegate Ben Cline spoke on his new position as Chairman of the powerful House Militia, Police, and Public Safety Committee, where 98% of gun bills have to pass through.

Other speakers included Congressman Dave Brat, Senator Dick Black, Delegate Dave LaRock, Delegate Brenda Pogge, Delegate John McGuire, and Delegate Nick Frietas!

I would like to personally thank all those gun owners who took the time to show up and be part of the fight!

BUSES

The bus company screwed up and had the wrong date (this was the last time we will be using them), so there was no bus from Roanoke/Lynchburg and the Fairfax/Fredericksburg bus was an hour late. Many people were troopers and just carpooled to make the trip. Hats off to them for their sheer tenacity!

I apologize to all those who were taking one of the buses for this major failure. We will happily refund any contributions that were made to help cover the cost of the bus, just get in touch with me (president@vcdl.org). Hopefully VCDL can get its money back - I'll find out soon. Otherwise the contributions will be put in our general fund to help with our efforts to protect gun rights in Virginia.

MEDIA COVERAGE

https://therepublicanstandard.com/gun-c ... publicans/

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/loca ... 45793.html

http://wtvr.com/2018/01/15/mass-shootin ... mp-stocks/

http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/g ... e9c4b.html

https://patch.com/virginia/richmond/due ... ia-capitol


Gun Control Laws From Democrats Shot Down by Republicans

Republicans in the Virginia State Senate defeated a push by Democrats on a panel for stricter gun control laws in the commonwealth.
https://therepublicanstandard.com/gun-c ... publicans/

[AlanM]

To come up with that 1000 gun deaths per year the governor MUST be counting suicides in that.
Wikipedia shows 369 for total murders and 250 for gun murders for Virginia. Of course, those numbers are somewhat old.

[AlanM]

Yep, he's counting all gun deaths and rounding up.

From https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/stat ... rginia.htm

For 2016 Virginia firearm deaths = 946, homicides = 374.
And we know that not all homicides are by firearms.