Virginia’s Assault Firearms Ban Bill is Dead… For Now

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Virginia’s Assault Firearms Ban Bill is Dead… For Now

Richmond, VA-(Ammoland.com)- The Senate Judiciary has tabled the so-called “assault firearms ban” bill (HB 961) in Virginia.

The bill, sponsored by Delegate Democrat Mark Levine of the far-left Alexandria district, passed the Virginia House of Delegates by the slimmest of margins (51-48) before heading to the Senate. Democrats had to amend the bill multiple times to push it through to the Senate. This included adding a grandfather clause with gun registration, then dropping the registration component, and then raising the legal round count for a magazine to 12. [most guns do not come with 12 round mags and manufacturers do not make many, if any, 12 round count magazines]

Del. Levine spoke to the Judiciary Committee about the bill to try to get them to pass it to the full Senate for a vote. He used dubious statics for his case. He claimed that the National Assault Weapons Ban cut down on mass killings. According to the Clinton Justice Department, the ban had little to no effect on crime.

Del. Levine also claimed the bill was constitutional under the US and Virginia Constitutions. Article One Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution is clear that the militia is the body of the people of the state and is separate from a standing army. It also states citizens need to have rifles to be able to become proficient with them. He also tried to push the idea that most handguns hold less than 12 rounds, including the Sig Sauer.

The Virginia Senators didn’t seem to buy his arguments. They pushed back on his claim of standard round counts for handguns. During the speaking phase, the Senators gave both sides equal time to plead their case for and against the bill. The Anti-gun side used emotion, while the pro-gun side provided hard data.

The Senate introduced three options for the bill. The first option that the Senators introduced was to table the proposed law until 2021 to give time for studies to be completed on the effectiveness of the bill. The second option was to table it for the day. The third option was to vote the bill outright down.

Roanoke’s Sen John Edwards called for a vote to table the bill for the year. Senator L. Louise Lucas (D), who wanted the committee to table the bill for the day, objected to the order the motions would be voted on by the committee. Edwards insisted that the committee vote on the motions in the order that the Senators presented them to the body.

The Committee members voted to table the bill for the year by a margin of ten to five. There will be a study performed to see if the proposed law would have any benefit. The bill currently will not see a vote in the full Senate this year.

Rumors circulated Sunday night that the Democrats were trying to find a way to amend the bill to garner enough votes to pass it out of committee. These efforts were not successful.

Even though the Senate Judiciary has shelved the bill for a year, it doesn’t mean it is totally dead. Governor Northam could use his powers to reintroduce the bill anytime this year. The ban was the cornerstone of his gun legislation. The defeat of the bill is a victory for gun rights in the Commonwealth, but only time will tell if Virginia gun owners can sustain the pressure to keep the bill buried.

 


About John CrumpJohn Crump

John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.

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WP

Yeah…they’re waiting and hoping President Trump doesn’t get re-elected. That way they can count on whatever commie might win for back-up.

Jim

THEY WILL BE BACK–it is what socialists and communists do. Just a matter of time.

ahhiyawa

You think?

Liberty is eternally under threat not just from leftists, socialists and communists, but from deep within by corrupt politicians, globalists, bureaucrats, plutocrats, academia, media moguls and hordes of useful idiots.

Liberty is never safe and those who enjoy it are obligated to defend it, because once its gone its gone forever.

ahhiyawa

Jim, as location…location…location is axiomatic to real estate – organize…organize…organize is absolutely axiomatic to ‘issue advocacy.’ That’s precisely what the VCDL state pro gun group did in Virginia, literally mobilizing the states pro gun community into mass action against the gun grabbers in Richmond, VA.

Jim

Va gun folks did good–BUT the socialists and communists will be back right on top of the gun issue next year–these types of dangerous people like the four bitches, Bernie, Pelosi, Adam Shit, the New York dwarf, and others do not stop–it is just what they do.

JIAZ

“There won’t be any armed citizenry. It’ll just be the *armed goons*, and they’ll have the guns and you won’t. The government is taking your right to defend yourself and your family.”
Jerry Miculek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg_LpRbgsqc&t=0s

Finnky

@JIAZ – In this case Jerry got one detail wrong. I don’t consider myself a “goon”, but I’ll still be armed until they forcibly disarm me.

Wild Bill

But Finnky, Mr Miculek did not speak of you, specifically. He spoke in the hypothetical of “legal guys” and “goons”. We do not consider you to be a goon either.

jukk0u

I’ve heard that legislation (like this has a three year life cycle: Year 1: introduce an outrageous proposal along with a flood of similar bills to pretty stiff surprise, alarm and resistance. Year 2) bring stalled bills forward, again, and introduce more chaff of similar bills to inundate the opposition and to wear them down. This also is a lot like repeating a lie so often it becomes accepted as “normal” or “truth”. Year 3: again with a flood of similar legislation and the wear and tear of endless beseigement. This is the year that legislation will either have garnered… Read more »

StWayne

Virginia, you did good. Real good. I have to admit that I was skeptical that 22,000 armed men of honor would do anything to change the direction of a snowball already in motion for Hell. But you did it. Just know that these are the kinds of people that don’t easily go away, unless you make them. Stay frosty, as I can already hear them creepin’ ’round your back door.

Get Out

IMOA, The pro-gun organizations need to stay vigilant, the anti-gun buffoons would try to slide it off the table hoping it’ll pass unnoticed.

Vern

If the dems can hold their majority after the elections this fall, they will bring this back the day after and pass it. Right now they are worried about the elections.
The most dangerous enemy America has now is those from within, the statement; “Only Americans can hurt America,” is still true.
The real Americans who believe in God and country need to forget about whether Trump has been married more times than they have or for whatever reason they can dream up. God forgives, they need to come off their high horse and do the same thing.