Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- This week, Virginia Governor McAuliffe and Governor-Elect Ralph Northam outlined their top priorities for the upcoming legislative session, and highlighted expanded background checks for all firearm sales and other transfers (so-called “universal” background checks) as a key measure the new governor will be pursuing upon taking office.
This is no surprise. Gov.-elect Northam has “proudly voted” to restrict Virginians’ gun rights for years.
As a state senator, he pushed for expanded background checks, and laws that would ban commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms and magazines. As lieutenant governor, he notably opposed permitless carry, casting a tie-breaking vote to block legislation that would have allowed residents, otherwise eligible to obtain a concealed carry permit, to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywhere in the state where a handgun may be carried openly. In addition to his pledge to expand background check laws, the incoming governor campaigned on promises to further restrict gun show sales, reinstate a one-a-month limit on the number of handguns residents may lawfully purchase (a gun-rationing law that was repealed in 2012), and impose a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms and “large” capacity magazines. All of this attracted the support of billionaire anti-gunner Michael Bloomberg and his Everytown group, which reportedly donated almost $1.5M towards Northam’s gubernatorial bid.
Indeed, Gov.-elect Northam describes his legislative priorities as “common sense,” echoing the terminology consistently used by Everytown and the like to justify expanded background checks, gun bans, purchase limits and other gun control measures touted as the key to ending gun crime in America. None of these proposals, though, have proven to be effective in stopping gun crimes.
The kind of expanded background check law likely to be proposed (here, here and here) would make it a crime for any person to participate in a sale, rental, trade, or other “transfer” of a firearm without first having the transaction brokered through a licensed gun dealer, unless the sale or transfer falls within a narrow exemption. Because such laws are written to include temporary transfers, changes in the possession of a gun, regardless of whether ownership changes, come within the kind of transaction that must be processed through a licensed dealer.
The NRA has universally opposed such background check laws in Virginia and in other states because these measures accomplish little besides burdening law-abiding gun owners with new fees and extra government paperwork for ordinary “transactions” of guns while training, hunting, at the range, and in other legitimate pursuits. A recent study of laws in three other states confirms the NRA’s apprehensions as to the utility of expanded background check requirements in crime control – “the state most compliant with its ‘universal’ background check law also had the highest homicide rate and the biggest increase in its homicide rate of the states studied.” And earlier this month, we highlighted a federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) reportwhich negates claims of private sellers knowingly breaking the law to make guns available to felons and other prohibited persons. In advocating for expanded background checks, gun control proponents have consistently relied on a narrative whereby criminals may easily acquire guns through “unregulated” private channels, including online sales. Apart from the obvious retort – that criminals are as likely to comply with enhanced background check laws as with existing background check requirements or other laws – the GAO report failed to validate these assertions in any way. Undercover ATF agents who tested the willingness of private individuals to sell guns to disqualified persons using the “relative anonymity of the Internet” were unable to complete a single transaction: every seller refused to complete a sale on learning of the agent-buyer’s “prohibited” status.
We can’t help but notice that the McAuliffe-Northam legislative package includes a proposal to significantly raise the threshold for felony larceny from $200 to $1,000, something Governor McAuliffe is “very, very passionate about.” At a joint appearance with Gov.-elect Northam to present legislative priorities, the governor explains that an “18-year-old stealing an iPhone” is “branded as a felon in Virginia for the rest of [his] life,” and raising the felony threshold would mean fewer people are liable to be “ensnared in this lifelong punishment for making a small mistake.” This anxiety over the potential impact of laws on convicted thieves and felons provides an interesting counterpoint to the ease with which these two officials push hard for new and additional restrictions that encroach on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Virginia’s law-abiding gun owners.
About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
If the new governor is Bloomberg’s BITCH, and took money from him, doesn’t that make him a prostitute?
MELT THE SNOWFLAKES!
All would-be tyrants fear an armed populace.
another EU sell out the so-called “universal” background check. was created by the EU. the collected DATA goes to the UN, which is a small arm of the EU. IF you want to see the effect of the so-called “universal” background check , look at what is happening in South Africa to the Dutch farmers. look it up these anti- gun politicians are traitors to America, that are enforcing a foreign agenda. wake up. look up what the President and vice president in Brussels say. we ARE IN A LEGAL war Against a foreign enemy.
Universal Background CHecks… they WORK.. for the otherwise law abiding. Any street gun sales will NOT go through one. In Washington before BloomingIdiotBurg bought us that new law that was unconstitutional on its face but no one did a thing about it, we never had a problem, and sales to “prohibited persons”, when discovered, WERE prosecuted, for which I give the State’s AtG high marks. Some may remember a sad day in our history, when a man (convicted felon, in violation of his parole, and under indicment for new additional charges and investigation for stil more.. WHY this giuy was… Read more »
All the coastal states will fall to the Liberals and be anti-gun in the next couple of decades.
Now you can understand why Robert E. Lee resigned to defended his home state of Virginia from idiots like these. Lee knew the Constitution. Don’t start with the slavery thing. Lee emancipated the slaves he inherited before the Emancipation and his wife started a school for blacks when it was against the Federal Law. BTW, the observance of Robert E. Lee’s birthday is January 19th.
@mac, The day after Stonewall Jackson’s huge victory over the invading army of the north, at second Manassas, Jackson wrote a letter to his minister. Jackson did not mention his victory. Jackson apologized for having sent in late his donation to the Black Bible Study group.
I bet this guy will have a protective detail and doubt they will be carrying sling shots. Other politicos follow the same philosophy when thinking of their own buts. Stay alert. Stay armed. Practice. The police will only show up AFTER your dead.
God bless “Light Horse Harry and Robert E. Lee 2 real Virginia patriots!
We had a successful “Lobby Day” yesterday, with several hundred pro-rights people braving the sub-freezing cold. All but one anti-rights bills didn’t make it through the senate committee, and that one was sent to the finance committee where it, too, will likely die.
I didnt vote for him, but couldnt vote against him because my voter registration from moving back to VA didnt arrive until a week later.
Yep…more gum smacking, lip service. They keep voting them in, we keep griping & nobody’s doing a damn thing about it. Gotta keep the wheel turning I guess.
Wayne, not true at all in Virginia. We even got expanded reciprocity passed under McAuliffe, and this “Lobby Day”, yesterday was also successful, stopping all but one anti-rights bills in committee. That one is being sent to the finance committee where it is expected to die.
D.C. Employees living in Arlington voted him in, largely. They need to all go home.
@Draven, Drain the swamp = smaller government = fewer bureaucrats = they all go home. Trump needs our help.
@Wild Bill, exactly right. With the recent events concerning the Fusion, Russian, mess, we can see the damage unhinged beaurocrats can and will do. Trump does need our help. I didn’t get to lobby day this year but I’m grateful to my fellow Patriots who did. Mr. Northam will be a challenge for Patriots. We must all support our state level representatives who still demand accountability from Tyrannical Governors.
The citizens voted him in, just like this new Dem, lib, commie in Jersey…. Those who didn’t vote at all will be the loudest crybabies now…
I didn’t vote for the SOB. And most of the districts in the state didn’t vote for him. His base is in the population centers of Richmond and the area of DC. My section of the state voted overwhelmingly for the other guy. The rest of the state of Virginia needs to succeed from Richmond and northern Virginia. We are lovers of the constitution and freedom. We somehow ended up with a damn commie in the Governors office. He is not a patriot nor a real Virginian. Real Virginians are for freedom and upholding the constitution.
What is needed is an Electoral College at the state level too. The elections in every Blue state is won because the urban districts population outnumbers the rural districts which usually outnumber the urban districts. The Founders were wise to have the Electoral College at the Federal Level, else NY and California would dictate our presidential elections
It’s the same way in Maine, New York, California…It seems the Northern parts of these states are conservative. It’s a shame we can’t keep these scum bags out of office! The thing is the cheat! It was proven in the Roy Moore election. It’s the ONLY way democrats can win! One Hollywood libtard I forget her name actually flew to Alabama to vote and bused people to the polls while brainwashing them of course! They’re a VILE, NASTY party that needs to be wiped from our government! They make our whole country weak and make us look terrible! Other countries… Read more »
The majority of Virginia is red, when you consider area as a whole. Voting numbers of Virginia by county are available on the internet. Two words, Fairfax, Alexandria, people are nose to ass in those areas, and all they smell is liberal, entitlement, socialist philosophy, on each other. Northern Virginia is also full of celebrity educators, who intend to destroy any integrity left in the Old Dominion. Most of Virginia Riff Raff is imported, including the last four Governor’s, truck loads of ” intellectual ” do Gooders, and so called ” celebrities “, who would vote for Satan to remain… Read more »
Rock, we voted against those that are anti-rights, freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility.
I was at “Lobby Day” yesterday with several hundred other pro-rights people, in sub-freezing weather. All but one anti-rights bills didn’t make it out of committee, will most likely fail as it was then routed to the finance committee.
Unfortunately only two pro-rights bills also made it out of committee. Otherwise we had a good day yesterday.
@ Heed……I didn’t make lobby day this year, but I deeply appreciate you Patriots that did. Remember to contact your state representatives who stood against the anti 2cd amendment bills and thank them. They appreciate and need our support.