legislation
Virginia – -(Ammoland.com)- Ladies and gentlemen,
The 2018 Virginia General Assembly session starts on January 10 2018, with Virginia Citizens Defense League Lobby Day on January 15 2018. As of right now there are 19 anti-gun bills and 4 pro-gun bills. Both numbers will be increasing until the session starts, with a few more trickling in for a week or two after that.
THE BAD/HORRIBLE (and more coming)
Let’s take a look at what the anti-gunners (all Democrats so far) want to shove down your throats at this point. And no, nothing has happened in Virginia to justify any of these infringements:
- Complete gutting for Virginia’s firearms preemption laws. Local government, based on the vote of typically 5 to 9 people on a City Council or a Board of Supervisors, can pass virtually unlimited gun control!
- Bans on guns at parades, demonstrations, marches, protests, rallies, or similar events. Even Virginia Citizens Defense League rallies and protests could be affected by this law!
- Bans on guns in public libraries and local government buildings – both of which would also affect Virginia Citizens Defense League meetings.
- Firearm restraining orders that can strip you of all your guns based on a mere, uncontested statement of someone, without any due process or notification until the police show up at your door and point guns at you!
- Bans on anything, such as a bump stock, that can make a semi-automatic firearm fire faster than it can be fired by an “unaided person.” This bill reaches way beyond just bump stocks.
- Pre-school and child day care centers would become “gun-free zones,” just like K-12 schools! And what would happen to gun rights at churches that have pre-school or child day care facilities on their property?
- Universal Background Checks. Virginia Citizens Defense League has been pushing gun owners to educate everyone on the evils and failures of that system. Here is a flyer to read and/or handout: https://vcdl.org/resources/Documents/VCDL_Titanic_Flyer.jpg
- Making open carriers subject to extra scrutiny by police using the low and nebulous standard of “under the influence” if the police suspect the gun owner of having consumed even the tiniest amount of alcohol. A person with a low-alcohol level driving a vehicle would be considered to be OK, as courts tend to use a standard of “too impaired to drive safely,” while an open carrier could be charged, as the proposed law requires no proof that the person was actually impaired in any way. “Under the influence” is such a vague standard that any change whatsoever, from glassy eyes (to which some people are genetically disposed) to flushed skin or sweating, could be enough for you to be considered “under the influence!”
- Penalizing gun owners if they don’t report a stolen gun fast enough. As if the gun owner hasn’t been penalized enough by the loss of his gun(s).
- Prohibit online training to get a CHP. What about someone who has found themselves under a serious threat and needs to get a CHP ASAP? Where is there a problem with CHP holders who have had online training?
- A civil fine of $50 would take away your gun rights for years! This is based around making possession of an ounce of marijuana a mere civil offense and not a crime. Virginia Citizens Defense League takes no position on marijuana legalization, but we do take a position on yet another way to strip a person of their gun rights – in this case for a mere civil penalty!
- A gun owner is held liable for any crimes committed by a person he sells a gun to if that sale isn’t run through a dealer.
- A parent must prove they gave specific permission for their child to possess a handgun or a semi-automatic rifle in their OWN home. Talk about Big Brother looking over your shoulder.
THE GOOD (and more coming)
- Constitutional concealed carry.
- Tax break for purchase of a gun safe.
- State Police prohibited from sharing CHP information with any state that does not honor Virginia CHPs.
- Circuit Court to provide a mailed notice of approaching expiration of a CHP if email notice was not given.
Virginia Citizens Defense League LOBBY DAY SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED!
Lobby Day is Monday, January 15th 2018 at 8:00 AM at the General Assembly Building in Richmond. It’s a holiday, so street parking is free that day. You will be lobbying in teams (not a problem if you’ve never lobbied before, you will be part of a team and won’t necessarily even have to speak).
The rally starts at 11 am at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square (same spot as in all previous years). Here are the speakers we currently have lined up (photos of the speakers are on the VCDL.org main page if you scroll down a little):
- Dr. John Lott Jr – economist, political commentator, and gun-rights advocate
- Elizabeth Baran – survivor of a brutal murder attempt by her ex-spouse
- Senator Mark Peake
- Senator Dick Black
- Senator Bill Carrico
- Delegate Dave LaRock
- Delegate Brenda Pogge
WE NEED MORE TEAM LEADERS FOR LOBBY DAY
If you’ve been to Lobby Day before and can help as a team leader, please contact Executive Member Kenneth Van Wyk at: [email protected]
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I hope to see all of you at Lobby Day!
About Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL):
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.
For more information, visit: www.vcdl.org.