1. Great night for Virginia gun owners
2. Biden hides from gun groups
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1. Great night for Virginia gun owners
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Great job, VCDL! All of the gun bills that VCDL strongly opposed are now dead! Even better, an important pro-gun bill passes out of subcommittee.
This morning Delegate Bob Marshall's bill, HB 2340, which prohibits any state or local government employee from aiding the federal government in enforcing new gun laws passed after December 31, 2012 (VCDL STRONGLY SUPPORT), passed out of the Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee #2 this morning by a 5 to 3 vote!
Voting pro-gun: Delegates Cline, Edmunds, Wilt, O'Quinn, Head
Voting anti-gun: Delegates Filler-Corn, Hope, Lopez
The bill will be heard by the full committee tomorrow, Friday, at 9 AM in House Room C.
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This evening the remaining gun-control bills that VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSED were KILLED in the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee #1:
HB 1410, Jim Scott, disarms individuals who have committed certain *misdemeanors.* This bill was withdrawn by Delegate Scott.
HB 2221, Hope, added those who are unable to own a gun due to mental illness to the list of people that a person cannot knowingly give or sell a gun to.
HB 2240, Cosgrove, provides more information on disqualified gun owners to the federal NICS system. This bill was one that VCDL switched from opposed to neutral, based on a clarification. This bill may be brought back up again.
HB 2251, Lopez, bans magazines that hold more than 20 rounds. This bill was particularly evil, having a registry and a limit of 3 such magazines a person can have TOTAL. Delegate Gilbert provided a quote by Stalin during the hearing: people who ignorantly promoted communism were "useful idiots." Gilbert didn't say that Lopez was such an idiot, but Lopez took offense anyway. All I can say is, if the shoe fits, wear it. Looking at the onerous items in that bill, it is definitely a shoe in Lopez's size.
HB 2263, Krupicka, allows the police to temporarily confiscate a person's guns if in the opinion of a mental health professional a person has verbalized a threat of suicide or harming others. Not adjudication is required to take someone's private property by force. That is not good.
HB 2281, Ward, requires that stolen guns be entered into the VCIN system. The subcommittee felt this bill did nothing useful.
HB 2327, Brink, reinstates One Handgun a Month.
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The following pro-gun bills were passed out of subcommittee or carried over until next week:
HB 1592, Cole, allows private schools and child day centers to have armed security guards. Passed out of subcommittee.
HB 2317, Anderson, allows armed force members who commute from nearby states to a permanent duty station in Virginia to be able to purchase guns here. Carried over until next week.
HB 2342, Lingamfelter, allows CHP holders to get an expedited background check when purchasing a gun. Carried over until next week.
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I would like to thank EM Greg Trojan for representing VCDL at the meeting of the Governor's Task Force on school safety. I had a time-conflict because I had to attend the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee #1 hearing. Besides VCDL speaking in favor of Delegate Bob Marshall's bill, HB 1557, to permit school boards to appoint certain trained people to carry concealed handguns to defend schools, Professor John Lott spoke on that bill, too.
VCDL's defensive game is now pretty much over at the state level (federal level is going to continue for some time) and we can focus on the offense - getting the remaining pro-gun bills onto the Governor's desk. Soon we will be sending out more emails to our legislators to that effect.
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2. Biden hides from gun groups
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Not until the last minute did Vice President Biden mention where he was going to be holding a gun-control meeting in Richmond. The meeting is being held at VCU and is NOT open to the public. And don't forget about the Secret Service's new powers to declare the area around the President or Vice President a "free-speech free zone."
Biden isn't really interested in having gun owners passing out GSL stickers to those in attendance. You know, it would be embarrassing for him.
The President has an agenda to move forward. Truth, facts, and transparency are NOT part of that effort.
Our focus needs to be on Congress, but I will be available to the media for comment.
