VA-ALERT: Bill Bolling confirms Senate rules were broken!

[OakRidgeStars]

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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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Lt. Governor Bill Bolling confirms that Senators Saslaw and Marsh
broke the rules of the Senate. And, worse, they will get away with it.

What hypocrisy. THEY break the rules, but expect US to obey them!

That is intolerable. The Virginia Senate needs new leadership. Period.

Unless the Senate votes in some new leadership, the elections of 2011
is where gun owners and other like minded Virginians will fix the
problem.

The anger at what Saslaw and Marsh did to betray the public's trust is
palpable. Not since the Roanoke Times published the list of CHP
holders have I seen this many furious emails!

With many Democrats already looking nervously over their shoulders as
election day draws ever nearer, this move by the Senate Leadership is
a form of political Darwinism for their Party - pouring gasoline on a
fire.

That's too bad, as there are some very good pro-gun Democratic
Senators who are being dragged down a path they probably would not go
down on their own. But, they chose their leaders and, clearly, chose
poorly.

For us, let's not get angry - that accomplishes nothing. Instead
let's channel that energy into fixing the Senate.

Saslaw and Marsh have just awoken a sleeping giant who will make the
Senate Leadership's treachery a rallying cry. We will come out as a
huge voting block to remind the Senate Leadership that they serve at
OUR pleasure. And we expect WHOEVER is in leadership to obey the
rules and to honor and protect our right to self--defense.

Here is Freddie Kunkle's article in the Washington Post:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virgin ... ill_p.html

http://tinyurl.com/ydpwxcw

Lt. Gov. Bolling: Anti-gun bill panel creation broke Senate rules
Yes, Democratic leaders in Virginia's Senate broke the rules when they
killed a bunch of gun rights bills in a specially formed subcommittee.
And, no, there's not a thing anybody can do about it.

That's the upshot of a ruling that came down Friday from Lt. Gov. Bill
Bolling (R), who is president of the Senate.

The controversy began when Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw
(D-Fairfax) and Courts of Justice Chairman Henry Marsh (D-Richmond)
created a special subcommittee to consider several gun bills passed by
the Republican-controlled House, including an attempt to repeal
Virginia's ban on buying more than one handgun a month.

Almost all of the gun bills, except those that were similar to
measures adopted by the Senate, died there last week on party-line
votes. Among the dead was Del. Scott Lingamfelter's (R-Prince William)
closely watched attempt to repeal the gun-a-month law.

Some gun-control advocates praised the end if not the means. Others
criticized Senate leaders only for not thinking of the idea sooner.
But gun-rights supporters derided the Courts of Justice special
subcommittee as "the death star" committee and accused the Senate
leadership of acting like autocrats.

Other newly created subcommittees killed other unwanted House bills
too, including one that would have protected Virginians from
involuntary microchip implantation -- a measure derided by critics as
the "mark of the Beast" bill.

Saslaw wasn't shy about the purpose of the Courts of Justice special
subcommittee, which was stacked with four Democratic senators and one
moderate Republican. Saslaw said in interviews that the
Democratic-controlled Senate was merely engaging in a little payback
after years of watching bills roll out with significant majorities
only to die at the hands of a few delegates on subcommittees in the
Republican-controlled House.

On Thursday, Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester) tried to revive a
gun-rights measure--shielding public access to the list of concealed
weapon permit holders--by amending another gun-related bill on the
floor of the Senate. She withdrew the amendment eventually, but not
before criticizing the handiwork of the newly invented subcommittees
and their propriety.

Enter Bolling.

His March 12 memo, citing Rule 20 (h), says:

"Accordingly, and based on my objective interpretation of the Rules of
the Senate, it is my belief that Senate subcommittees do not have the
authority to take final action on any bill or resolution referred to
them. The subcommittee can consider such bills and resolutions, but
ultimately, the subcommitee is only empowered to make recommendations
to the full Committee. The ultimate authority of taking final action
on such bills and resolutions rests solely with the full committee."

Bolling's memo also points out that, unlike the Senate, the House's
rules specifically grant subcommittees the authority to take final
action on bills.

Bolling spokeswoman Ibbie Hedrick said the memo cannot force
compliance of the rules. "It's just his opinion on the matter," she
said.

But Bolling's memo also included a genteel reminder to the senators to
play nice:

"As you know, the Senate has long prided itself on compliance with the
Rules and traditions of the Senate. It is important that the Rules and
traditions of the Senate be complied with when they advance members
ultimate goals and objectives, and even when they do not."

-- Fredrick Kunkle




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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/]

[VBshooter]

What good are rules if they can't/won't enforce them? Makes the term honorable more like BS!! The House committee had the chance for at least a little payback following that little mess but decided to report against gun owners on 2 bills and managed to pass one Pro Gun Bill SB533 -Ore Tenus Hearing allowed.The bad votes that they approved were SB501-Out of state DUI counts against CHP if gotten within 3 years of application. SB89 Gets the Commonwealths attorney involved in a case of individual attempting to restore their gun rights,,,SO that leaves me looking closely at the House side of the fence too

[zephyp]

So why isnt the attorney general getting involved instead of the lt? Seems to me he ought to be able to do something.

Hey Spence, this is just like grade school. The kids that win and are bigger always make/break/change the rules to suit themselves. The tables will soon turn and the liberals will no doubt run for cover.

[VBshooter]

I know that is the case ,,,it's just a pisser and to have Bolling be so nonchalant to a group that supported him heavily and helped him land that spiffy new job makes it an even bigger insult to every one who voted for him.Eventually we will get to run the school yard I'm sure.It looked really good for us this year and then to get derailed by 2 buttholes with an agenda is above and beyond aggravation.This was an incredible abuse of office and should never have been allowed to stand.

[graybeard321]

I encourage everyone to write their representatives and senator. (See other post on subject for my letter) I am also writing the governor and the AT asking them investigate both for ethics violations and to remove both the Senators from all committees.
No sure if we could them impeached will have to discuss that with my neighbor the lawyer. If they get away with it what will stop them from killing all progun bills next year that go to their committees?

[Username]

I think something besides writing letters needs to be done. We have gay and lesbian activists swarming social media and picketing on the capital over something Ken Cuccinelli said, but we keep writing letters.

It's frustrating to be so upset by something and yet feel so sterile when it comes to making right the wrongs committed here.

[graybeard321]

I agree with Username - It's frustrating to be so upset by something and yet feel so sterile when it comes to making right the wrongs committed here. I believe just about anything we try will be presended in a negative light by the liberal media.
I believe the republican leadership is not going to do anything and that really bothers me

[VBshooter]

The Republicans not doing anything is what pisses me off to. Once again another group that gun owners helped elect and our voice is ignored, As far as the Liberal press goes.. I've had enough cat footing around with them. We need to sound off loud and clear on this. I doubt highly that we will be seen any different than we are now and raining hell about this may actaully do more good than bad.Greybeard is correct IMHO that next year they'll try it again. THis year they killed many good bills,,passed some bad ones and next year I am willing to bet that they'll feel even braver to pass even more restrictions disguised as public safety or other crap..

[Username]

This "law breaking" in the senate, and changing the rules to fit their agenda is not limited to just firearms. As Spence said, they killed many good bills and used this to pass many bad ones. This is about our lives, not just our guns. Things like the microchip in the drivers license aka the "Mark of the Beast" bill were heralded in just like this, by breaking the rules and five people going against the will of the people.

Somebody has to let our senators know that we won't stand for it any longer!

[zephyp]

This "law breaking" in the senate, and changing the rules to fit their agenda is not limited to just firearms. As Spence said, they killed many good bills and used this to pass many bad ones. This is about our lives, not just our guns. Things like the microchip in the drivers license aka the "Mark of the Beast" bill were heralded in just like this, by breaking the rules and five people going against the will of the people.

Somebody has to let our senators know that we won't stand for it any longer!

I think they know that...as a matter of fact I'm certain they know that...they just dont care...the liberals (we won) are drunk with power. I'm concerned that when the voters turn out in November the end result will them attempting to retain power no matter how the vote goes.