Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Senator Saslaw & Marsh Conspire Against Virginia Firearms Freedom Act

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Senator Saslaw & Marsh Conspire Against Virginia Firearms Freedom Act

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Yesterday, Senator Mark Obenshain tried to get a committee vote on HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, that declares guns made and possessed in VA to be free of federal control under the interstate commerce clause.

Chairman Marsh was so flustered that his political boss Senator Saslaw took over the committee and ruled all Senator Obenshain’s motions out of order.

Senator Obenshain then challenged the rule of the chair and lost 12-3. All Senators except, Hurt, McDougle, and Obenshain voted wrong. Senator Saslaw then tried to get the clerk not to record the vote.

Clearly the anti-gun forces are running scared and fear the recorded vote on such a popular issue.

There is only one option left and that is to use the rarely used Senate floor procedures to put the HB 69 on the Senator floor for a recorded vote.

Senator Jill Vogel has agreed to do this.

She has asked me not to say, for now, exactly how she will do it but she agrees with me that it is critical that you contact your Senator and urge them to support her efforts to get a vote on HB 69 on the Senator Floor.

The biggest excuse against doing this will be that is violates precedent.

However, I don’t care about historical precedent. I care about my liberties. It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to deprive us of a vote by breaking Senate rules.

That’s right!
The Senate rules say that the sub committee that Senator Marsh created to kill HB 69 can only make recommendations on bills NOT kill a bill.

You can also tell your senator that the rules exist for such a time as this. If not for this situation, then when would they be used?

Please email Senator Vogel at district27@senate.virginia.gov the following message.

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Dear Senator Vogel,
I understand from Mike McHugh that you are going to try to get HB 69 to the Senate floor. Thank you. I am urging my senator to support you.
YOUR NAME HERE
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If you don’t know your senator’s email please go to www.vgoc.org and click contact lawmakers to find out.

Please email your Senator the following message:

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Dear Senator THEIR NAME HERE
It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to break the Senate rules by not even allowing a vote on HB 69 which overwhelmingly passed the House.
Senator Vogel is trying to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.
Whatever motions she makes are appropriate for such a time as this.
I urge you not to disregard my sacred liberties. Please stand up to the federal government and protect me.
Please stop the tyranny of Senator Saslaw and Senator Marsh.
Please support Senator Vogel’s efforts to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE
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For Liberty
Mike McHugh
President, VGOC
www.vgoc.org

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

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Virginia’s Morgan Griffith up to Old Tricks To Avoid Pro Gun Bills

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 8:04 pm

Virginia’s Morgan Griffith up to Old Tricks To Avoid Pro Gun Bills

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Republican Majority Leader Morgan Griffith is up to his old tricks of hiding behind procedure to avoid having to fight for our liberties.

He claims he cannot substitute the HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, for SB501 because “it is not germane”.

Don’t be fooled! It is germane if the Speaker says it is germaine.

Both bills deal with the same Code of Virginia and are about firearms.

Last year when Delegate Athey tried to amend a bill exempting military personnel from the one gun-a-month rule by making the exemption apply to all law abiding citizens Morgan Griffith supported the Speaker in ruling Athey’s amendment not to be germaine.

But the treachery does not end there.

When Morgan Griffith and Speaker Howell wanted to attack our liberties they are willing to find all sorts of things to be germane

In fact, the abomination transportation bill of 2007 called HB 3202 clearly violated the single object rule of the Virginia Constitution. It had everything in it from land use, VDOT reform, retroactive abuser fees, establishment of regional transportation authorities to tax us without representation and more. Morgan Griffith supported Speaker Howell in call this “germane” under the single object rule because it all fell under the umbrella of transportation.

All you and I are trying to do is amend a bill that deals with firearms out of the exact same section of the Virginia Code. This is not a stretch at all.

HB 69 is clearly germane to SB 501.

It is time that gun owners started telling the politicians what is germane not letting them tell us what is germane.

Why is it that when anti-gun Democrats want to fight to destroy liberty they are willing to flagrantly violate the Senate rule that says sub-committees cannot kill legislation but can only recommend actions to the full committee.

It is because they have spine for their beliefs. You and I need politicians with spine for our beliefs.

Please email Morgan Griffith AGAIN at DelMGriffith@house.virginia.gov.

It is critical that we continue to build the pressure.

And please consider a donation. This required a special trip on my part to Richmond and that cost money.

And, it will cost money to continue to mobilize.

Sample Letter to cut and paste: ————————————————————————

Dear Republican Majority Leader Morgan Griffith,
After reviewing your actions as to what is germane in regard to HB 3202 in 2007 and the one gun-a-month bill in 2009 I am even more convinced that what is germane is what the Speaker rules to be germane.
You are the Majority Leader and running for Congress.
It is time to stand up and be a leader.
If you cannot stand up to the federal government in the state legislature, how do you expect anyone in the 9th district to think you will stand up for our liberties as a congressman?
Please amend SB 501 with HB 69.
Please tell me what you intend to do.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE
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