People Power: VA Ban Defeated; WA Gun Owners Can Take a Lesson

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam nra-Ila image
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam nra-Ila image

U.S.A.-(Ammoland.com)- News erupted Monday morning that the proposed ban on so-called “assault weapons” in Virginia—the measure supported by anti-gun Gov. Ralph Northam—was “shelved” in committee on a 10-5 bipartisan vote, handing the governor an embarrassing defeat.

According to Fox News, the vote saw four moderate Democrats cross party lines. It came a month after an estimated 22,000 heavily-armed Virginians and supporters from other states descended on the State Capitol in Richmond to “just say No” to new gun control. It follows the actions of nearly all Virginia counties to declare themselves as “Second Amendment Sanctuaries.”

What happened in Virginia Monday can now be justifiably touted as “a lesson” for embattled gun owners in other states, especially distant Washington in the Pacific Northwest. There, grassroots rights activists are waging a pitched battle against their own Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Gun owners have been flooding lawmakers with emails and phone calls, opposing Substitute House Bill 2240, the proposed ban on original capacity ammunition magazines. As noted by Curtis Bingham, moderator at the Facebook page of the Washington 2020 Legislative Action Group, stopping this measure is an “action item” requiring heavy citizen input.

Washington activists are being called to action with social media posts like this one, posted by a legislative action group. (Facebook snip)

This and other gun control measures were discussed at the Seattle Channel’s “City Inside/Out” on Friday, Feb. 14, featuring Emily Cantrell, a board member from the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility and this correspondent. An unscientific poll shows overwhelming opposition to new gun laws in Washington.

Rights activists in Virginia, particularly the Virginia Citizens Defense League, are cheering but they also realize their battle is far from over. Northam resurrected his entire gun control agenda last November on the morning after the state legislative election was decided in favor of Democrats, the result of a dismal turnout of only about 40 percent of the state’s registered voters.

According to activists in Virginia and elsewhere this is a lesson learned: Don’t sit out an election. Evergreen State gun owners—and there are an estimated 1.5-2 million of them including more than 647,000 citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns—are taking this lesson to heart.

Anti-gun Gov. Jay Inslee, now running for a third term after dropping his vanity presidential campaign late last year, wants magazine and “assault weapons” bans. Grassroots activists are determined to prevent that from happening as they flood Olympia with messages, and their presence. It is a surprising turnaround from the normal lethargy Washington gun owners have displayed over the years. This time around, their rights are under direct attack.

There are proposals to make it more difficult to obtain and renew a concealed pistol license (CPL). Democrats want to create a new bureaucracy in the Department of Commerce called the “Office of Firearms Violence Prevention” that activists believe would be a government-funded gun control advocacy agency. They also want to destroy the state’s 35-year-old model preemption law, which has provided uniformity in gun laws from one state border to the other. It is no surprise to some that the situations in Washington and Virginia are so similar.

According to Fox News, the Virginia vote came after “Gun-rights protesters have been out in force for weeks in Richmond…over the Democrats’ gun control agenda.”

Fox also noted that “gun control groups heavily funded Democratic candidates” in last November’s elections.

That funding, primarily $2.5 million spent by billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, flipped control of the Virginia Assembly to Democrats for the first time in more than 20 years. And a gun control crusade is what happened.

Bloomberg is now running for president, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in key state races, and that includes Washington, where the candidate has curiously downplayed his role in helping finance gun control initiatives over the past six years. Even some Democrats are concerned Bloomberg is essentially trying to buy his way into the White House, apparently outspending all of the other Democrat candidates combined.

Fox News quoted Kris Brown, president of Brady United Against Gun Violence, who issued a prepared statement: “While we are disappointed in today’s vote, we are undeterred. Assault-style weapons, large-capacity magazines, and other accessories designed to heighten the lethality of firearms have no place in our communities. In the meantime, the Judiciary Committee and Virginia Senate must swiftly pass the remaining seven, common-sense gun violence prevention laws before them. We need the action that voters demanded in November.”

Translation: The fight in Virginia is not over.

And Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran reportedly “underscored the resolve of some Democrats” to ban so-called “assault weapons.” According to Fox, Moran said this: “Assault weapons are not protected by the Second Amendment because they are weapons of war.”

Second Amendment advocates will likely call this a preposterous pronouncement, considering the Second Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights to guarantee the people had a right to keep and bear arms to protect the “security of a free state.”

For now in Virginia, it appears legislation aimed directly at what gun owners believe is their security has been at least temporarily put on hold.

 


About Dave WorkmanDave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books #add on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

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Will Flatt

Gun owners cannot relax one bit. The tyrants said they’d come back later on this. Also, EVERY other state is under assault thanks to Bloomturd dropping millions in every state buying up politicians, funding local antigun groups, etc. And dont get me started about that old nazi that refuses to die, George Soros.

We MUST soldier on!!

Will Flatt

Hard agree. Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty.

Green Mtn. Boy

Wouldn’t the solution to those who subvert/pervert the Constitution is to ban Leftard’s.

BowserB

The solution is to VOTE.

Knute

The real solution is to clean up the voting system, so that your vote would matter again…

Will Flatt

@Knute Knute – The way to clean up the voting system is to get rid of those who are destroying it. Which brings us back to the issue of getting rid of Leftists. In the end, the ARMED CITIZEN STILL GETS TO VOTE.

Deg4u

U hit the nail on tha noggin.

Will Flatt

Hard agree! Helicopter jokes aside, the hard Left needs to GTFO of America and move to a country that offers the kind of collectivist “workers’ paradise” that they want. China, N. Korea, and other countries offer what they want.

Doszap

I have been fighting these pricks and traitors for over five decades until I die I will continue.

Arizona

Virginia is attempting to prohibit its citizens from protecting not only Virginia but the United States as well. It does this because the Left fears the People.

Myself, I prefer dangerous liberty.

Wild Bill

@Ar, Not Virginia, so much as certain elected persons, such as Gov. Ralph. Isn’t ralph vernacular for throwing up? Gov. ralph, yep, that fits.

a.x. perez

Moran very funny man. United States v. Miller says sawed off shotgun not necessarily protected by 2nd Amendment because it was not a usual weapon of war.
This establishes idea that 2A protects weapons of war.

Dave in Fairfax

A X, speaking of which, we haven’t heard from Henry Bowman for quite a while. Perhaps VA is an Unintended Consequence.

Wild Bill

@DIF, The history to be learned makes that book worth every penny!

Arny

@ a.x. perez And then you have the Puckle or defense gun. https://www.wideopenspaces.com/the-puckle-gun-machine-gun-from-300-years-ago/

Autsin Miller III

VCDL did great work. People in Virginia need to remember to thank those Democrats that voted against their party wishes. I am sure there will be consequences for them. It is heartening to see that some elected people remember for whom they work, the people not the party. I too wonder if they will continue to vote in favor of their constituents after the election cycle but hopefully they will remember the crowds VCDL brought out. As has been stated, it’s not over but it’s good news. Thanks VCDL, good work.

BowserB

Total votes cast in 2018 general elections in all 50 states were 118 million, or 50% of Voting Eligible Population. 22 states had voter turnout under 50%. Highest turnout was among the “new liberal” states–Maine, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Wisconsin and Minnesota–proving that a motivated minority can change a state’s politics. (Source: United States Election Project https://www.electproject.org). If you assume that gun owners voted in the same percentages as the overall population, then 62 million gun owners voted in last year’s general elections. Imagine the impact of all 124 million gun owners voting Republican (especially if they could convince their spouses… Read more »

Paul Valone

Dave, before we celebrate too much, people should remember the other, slightly less egregious gun control bills still moving through the Virginia legislature.

Doszap

Never ending Commies do not stop, unless by force God forbid it comes to that, but the Govt is intent on foisting more BS laws on us 24/7.
The Red Flag Laws are as bad, if not more dangerous because of lack of Due Process.
No more!.
Time to stop whining and stand up.
The ballot box only works with the GOP, Dems do not care about our Laws, they break them 24/7, and get a pass while we sheeple get nailed to the wall.
Enough!.

joefoam

As noted in the article, this is a delay not a defeat to the gun control agenda. they will wait until the dust settles and reintroduce the bills or try to disguise them in some other legislation. The solution? Stop Bloombergs plutocracy in its tracks. Vote out the bums at the first opportunity.

Buster

Conspiring to deny an American his Rights – that in itself should be illegal.

Arizona

It is. Suspending rights under the color of law is a felony.

Buster

@Arizona I thought so. This should be the only impetus needed to arrest the bastards responsible, and any complicitous law enforcement who enable/protect them.

Those Americans who value their freedoms – all freedoms – need to collectively grow a pair.

willyd

BIG ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tionico

so is swearing one’s oath of office, to protect and uphold the US and State Constitutoins, then walking away and breaking that oath.. felony perjury. WHEN will this ever be applied?

StWayne

The most defining words in that statement was where Kris Brown, President of Brady United Against Gun Violence, said, and I quote: “We Will Not Be Deterred.” Unquote. So either you find a way to end their Progressive political careers, or they persist as an itch you can’t scratch because it goes too far up the ass, and you look ridiculous for even having tried. What we need is a hemorrhoidial cream supreme to take these pain in the ass sons-a-bitches out.

RJL

Anti-Constitutionalist’s=Anti-Americans=Enemies of the United States…

Wild Bill

Back to the Constitution = Restore the Republic.

Ryben Flynn

“accessories designed to heighten the lethality of firearms”
Uh, exactly what can make a firearm more lethal? Really.
That was stupid remark. Oh, of course. The Dims idea of making you deader is a pistol grip, a flash hider, a bayonet lug, a barrel shroud, an adjustable stock, a grenade launcher and more than 10 round magazines, I’m surprised they don’t mention a rifle scope because Sniper! Only Dims would think these things make a bullet kill you deader than dead.

Tionico

These eedjits would take a look at a Ruger Mini fourteen Ranch Rifle, stainless barrel and nice wood stock, and not bat an eyelash. Never mind it has precisely the same rate of fire, the capability of mounting the same magazines as some AR type rifles, and uses exactly the same round, as their hated AR types. BUT the Ranch Rifle does not “look” scary. It looks just like Grandpa’s hunting rifle, except that the round it, and the AR types, fire is too puny, small, weak, to be legally used for the taking of deer in nearly every state.… Read more »

Finnky

@RF – As far as scopes – they’ve already announced that their next target is “sniper rifles”. Only thing I can imagine is that means anything with a scope…

OldJarhead03

Clearly, the Democrats who jumped ship had the 2020 election in mind. Once that is over it will be ban, ban, ban, and too bad if you don’t like it.

grim reaper

Is there any legal action taking place against the bump stock ban or is that forgotten now?

Doszap

Yes there is legal action pending.

grim reaper

Thanks

Finnky

Along those lines, google isn’t giving me any new news on the Benitez ruling on California magazine size limits. Anyone know whether that has moved any? Latest I’ve found is that he stayed his ruling, allowing current owners to legally retain their property until 9th circuit rules on his ruling. I understand that the wheels of justice turn slowly, but … are they waiting for more turnover in the court so that trump can appoint additional freedom loving judges?

Dave in Fairfax

Finnky, stop using Google. It tailors the results you see. Change you search engine to duckduckgo or make your startpage, https://start.duckduckgo.com/ and you won’t have that problem or tracking issues.

ColdeadHands75

Seriously! Making it harder to get a CCW? WTF! It’s all about disarming the law-abiding citizen! You don’t hear of much new legislation saying if you’re a felon and get caught with a firearm…blah blah blah…It’s all about taking away the rights of law-abiding citizens! Chaps My ASS!!!

Tionico

Brian Moran said this: “Assault weapons are not protected by the Second Amendment because they are weapons of war.” Lying idiot has not READ that Second Article of Ammendment, nor does he have half a clue as to what an “assault weaon” is. He reminds me a lot of Josh SUgarman, the man who LIED while “testifying” before a Senate Judiciary Hearing chaired byAdam Kline, who wanted an “assault weapon ban”. First he needs to reread some Supreme Court cases and learn that that pesky Second does indeed protect our right to military grade” weapons of all sorts Second, the… Read more »

Wild Bill

Brian Moran must be illiterate.

Doszap

AR Clones not wanted in your communities doesn’t matter, the SCOTUS and the 2A already have guaranteed us,We the PEOPLE are to have the same type of weapons In Use by the military , we don’t!,we got screwed out of that in ‘34,but AR clones are In Common Use by a majority of American gun owners with over 20+ million in our hands specifically to stop a Tyrannical Government So bank on it, whatever So called Laws are passed they are Unconstitutional and are null and void and are not to be Obeyed, and We have drawn our line in… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Dos, All we need do is get government to admit that the Second Amendment pre-empts all future Congressional, Judicial, bureaucratic, state legislative, judicial, and bureaucratic action.

truthman

PATRIOTS IN FLORIDA WAKE UP YOU ARE NEXT! Bloomberg has already bought our Republican Senate President Bill Galvano. Bloomberg is using him to destroy the Florida Republican Party! Look at the amount of Money Bloomberg gave to Galvano’s pac To write SB-7028. Dates and Details: 10/26/18 Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund P. O. Box 4184 New York NY 10163 political org. 300,000.00 09/04/18 Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund P. O. Box 4184 New York NY 10163 political org. 200,000.00 This Radio station is right in galvanoes Home District Call The Morning Road Show with Phil Dann’s Deplorables 7am… Read more »

Quatermain

Nothing protects 2A like the potential that it might actually be used in its own defense. In my opinion the politicians are reacting solely to that possibility as underscored by the tens of thousands that showed up armed.

StWayne

I just wish someone would plug his pie hole with something foul. Seems he can’t keep it shut for the life of him.

Dave in Fairfax

USA, You can thank Cerberus for that. Remember what they did to the gun industry a while back. They seem to be trying to kill the unions in their stores. I have no problem with non-union, but they aren’t aboveboard in how they are doing it. Or so I hear form the shop stewards in my local stores.

Dave in Fairfax

USA Remember Freedom Group? That was one of their tentacles.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cerberus+capital+management+handguns&ia=web