Pending gun restriction legislation in Virginia as of 2/15/21

Status of gun bills as of 2/15/21



HB1992, Murphy, takes away gun rights for a conviction of misdemeanor domestic violence.  HB1992 was first killed by the committee this morning, but a little while later the vote was revisited and the bill squeaked out of committee on an 8 to 7 vote. HB1992 now heads to Finance.  The bill had a substitute in committee this morning.  The substitute restores gun rights after 3 years.  

However, that doesn't actually restore a person's gun rights federally, as the bill must take away all civil rights and then restore all of them for the federal prohibition to be terminated.  Worse, HB1992 expands what qualifies as domestic violence, beyond what the federal government uses.  For these reasons, VCDL continues to STRONGLY OPPOSE HB1992.



Voting pro-gun: Norment, Obenshain, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Morrissey, Peake

Voting anti-gun: Edwards, Saslaw, Lucas, Deeds, Petersen, Surovell, McClellan, Boysko

ACTION ITEM #1!

Click here to tell your Senator that you still oppose HB1992, even with the substitute.

-

HB2081, Levine, prohibits guns within 40 feet of polling places.  The bill passed out of committee on an 8 to 6 vote and heads to the Senate Floor.  VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES HB2081.



Voting pro-gun: Norment, Obenshain, McDougle, Stuart, Stanley, Peake

Voting anti-gun: Edwards, Saslaw, Lucas, Deeds, Surovell, McClellan, Boysko, Morrissey

HB2276, Simon, is a ban on homemade guns and 80% receivers.  The bill was not heard today, but is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Criminal Law subcommittee on Wednesday.  This is a really bad bill that must be stopped.  VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES HB2276.

HB2298, Fariss, allows for the use of safer "firestick" breach-loaded propellant for muzzleloaders used in hunting.  The bill was not heard today, but is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary committee 1/2 hour after adjournment of the Senate on Wednesday.  VCDL STRONGLY SUPPORTS HB2298.

ACTION ITEM #2!

On Tuesday, February 16, SB1381, Ebbin, which bans guns at the Capitol and in state government buildings, is going to be heard in the House Public Safety Firearms subcommittee at 7 am.  VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES SB1381.

Tell your Delegate to OPPOSE SB1381 by clicking here.

Loudoun County, VA proposing additional gun restrictions

I'd like to ask for email and publicity support to fight proposed gun restrictions where I live - Loudoun County, VA.

More on this issue at the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.'s Facebook page.

Here's the proposed ordinance change.

Here's more information on the current ordinance and what triggered the push for stricter discharge prohibitions:

Here's more information on the meeting.

There' hasn't been a lot written about this incident, but it turns out someone was target shooting in Loudoun County, Virginia on May 5, 2018 and some bullets hit three houses. Nobody was hurt, thankfully.

It appears (again, limited reporting) as if the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department knows who was doing the shooting, but is not planning to prosecute them. It's not clear why that's the case - several state laws were clearly violated, including reckless endangerment. Why are these existing laws not being enforced? Instead, the County is now looking at further restrictions on shooting.

The article in the Loudoun Times-Mirror claims that a “machine gun” was being used. That is possible and could explain missing the berm if the person shooting was not trained in managing the recoil of a fully-automatic gun. Of course, the press has a bad record on identifying firearms, so who knows? Machine guns are fully automatic and, although not outright illegal, are significantly restricted: Federal law prohibits the possession of newly manufactured machine guns, but permits the transfer of machine guns lawfully owned prior to May 19, 1986. State law adds registration and usage restrictions.

The County is going to ask some firearms experts (we don't know who at this time) to give input at their next meeting on June 21 on how the County's ordinances can be revised. The current regulations (Chapter 684.03) restrict discharging of firearms in certain heavily populated areas, and, in other areas, there are additional restrictions:

(b) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 50 yards of a highway in the primary or secondary system of State roads.

(c) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of any public park or school. Nothing in this section shall be enforced within a national or State park or forest or wildlife management area.

(d) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of a building with a current occupancy permit unless the owner or authorized agent has given permission.

According to the article linked above, the following state senators and supervisors (email address are below) are calling for changes to the ordinances, "to increase from 100 yards to 880 yards, or one half mile, the minimum distance an individual must be from any occupied home or occupied structure when discharging a firearm." 

“Sens. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) and Barbara Favola (D-31) and Dels. Jennifer Boysko, John Bell (D- 87), Karrie Delaney (D-67), Wendy Gooditis (D-10), Kathleen Murphy (D- 34) and David Reid (D-32) sent a letter to the board calling for emergency action to restrict the discharge of firearms in developed areas.”

My son sent the following email to several parties:

I am a lifelong Loudoun County resident from Sterling. I currently live in Lovettsville on 7 acres, which I bought in large part due to the freedom to exercise my second amendment rights. I literally printed the local firearms ordinance and walked the entire lot with one of your officers to ensure that I could comply with the law and shoot safely and legally. There are many thousands of responsible gun owners that live in Loudoun County and shoot responsibly on their own land. Attacking the rights of thousands because of the irresponsible behavior of one, or even a few, is unfair and tyrannical. Please protect our constitutional rights as you have sworn to do.

Please write to and/or call the representatives listed below and ask that the existing laws against public endangerment are enforced rather than targeting law-abiding citizens:

All Board members receive mail and calls at: 

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

1 Harrison Street, S.E., Fifth Floor

P.O. Box 7000 

Leesburg, VA 20177-7000                                  Phone: 703-777-0204

Fax: 703-777-0421

Comment Line: 703-777-0115

Email addresses:

Jennifer Wexton (D-33) district33@senate.virginia.gov

Barbara Favola (D-31) district31@senate.virginia.gov

Board of Supervisors' Office: bos@loudoun.gov

Phyllis.Randall@loudoun.gov

Ralph.Buona@loudoun.gov

Suzanne.Volpe@loudoun.gov

Tony.Buffington@loudoun.gov

Ron.Meyer@loudoun.gov

Geary.Higgins@loudoun.gov

Matt.Letourneau@loudoun.gov

Kristen.Umstattd@loudoun.gov

Koran.Saines@loudoun.gov

More information at Ammoland and 

Harry Potter Is An Inspiring Parable About Resisting Gun Control

Interesting points in this at FreeBeacon, by Alex Griswold - extensive excerpt below, but go there to read the whole thing.

Instead of guns, wizards in Harry Potter use wands for self-defense. Every wizard is armed at eleven, taught to use dangerous spells, and released into a society where everyone's packing heat and concealed carry is the norm. It's an inspiring example the United States should strive towards.

But the reader slowly discovers there is wand control in the Harry Potter universe, and that it's a racist, corrupt and selectively enforced. In the second book, Chamber of Secrets, we learn that the Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid has been forcibly disarmed after being accused of a crime he didn't commit. When government officials again come to falsely arrest Hagrid, he lacks any means of self-defense.

In Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry accidentally uses magic to attack his helpless aunt who has done nothing but insult him. It's an illicit use of magic that should have seen his wand snapped, but the political influence of the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge ensures that he escapes punishment. (Author J. K. Rowling no doubt was drawing from the example of cities like New York, where only the politically connected and powerful can obtain gun permits.)

Goblet of Fire is the first time we learn that non-humans like elves and goblins, who appear to have all the same sentience and rationality as humans, have been forcibly disarmed by law. When the elf Winky is caught open-carrying, she only avoids legal punishment because her slave master is a powerful Ministry official. Poor Winky is then fired, but luckily the good wizard Dumbledore agrees to re-enslave her in his kitchens.

A year later, in the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is despised by the government. When he stands his ground and uses magic in defense of his cousin, this time he is immediately informed that authorities are coming to destroy his wand. Through the intervention of Dumbledore, he barely avoids punishment meted out by a show trial staffed by politicians.

When Harry returns to Hogwarts, he learns that the government has forcibly added a politician to oversee and sabotage the class in which students learn self-defense. Harry responds by organizing a secret militia to resist both the government and the radical terrorists that Obama– oh sorry, Fudge– refuses to name.

But the clearest example of forced disarmament comes in the final book, The Deathly Hallows. The government has been secretly taken over by the evil Voldemort, who passes laws discriminating against wizards who have nonmagical parents. All so-called "Mudbloods" are then disarmed in show trials and forced into homelessness as the "wandless."

In the end, Harry Potter and friends overthrow the corrupt government and defend their freedoms using their extensive combat training. The child militia join forces with adult militia and in a final glorious battle overthrow those trying to oppress them by taking their wands. From their cold dead hands, indeed.