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Police clear committee room after uproar following 12-9 vote for bill targeting assault weapons, high capacity magazinesBy Amy Friedenberger amy.friedenberger@roanoke.com 981-3356 7 hrs ago RICHMOND — House Democrats used their majority Friday to advance the most controversial gun control bill this General Assembly session, a ban on the sale of assault weapons and the possession of "high capacity" magazines of 12 or more rounds.The House Public Safety Committee backed House Bill 961 on a 12-9 party-line vote, sending it to the floor of the House of Delegates. The bill would, among other things, require Virginians to turn over or destroy ammunition magazines considered to be “high capacity” and allow the possession of centerfire assault rifles but prohibit the transfer of sale of them in most situations.About 200 people, most of them gun rights advocates, packed into the meeting room wearing National Rifle Association T-shirts and Gun Saves Lives stickers or Moms Demand Action T-shirts.“This is the bill,” NRA lobbyist D.J. Spiker told the committee. “This is the one that’s fired up Virginians.”The bill from Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, underwent a significant revision from the original proposal that called for expanding the definition of assault weapons and making it a Class 6 felony to import, sell, buy, transfer or build them within the state. Levine said he took input from various stakeholders to offer a less restrictive bill.The legislation inflamed gun rights advocates across the commonwealth and invigorated a movement for localities to identify themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries.Throughout the discussion of the bill, gun owners cheered at the remarks from Republicans and jeered at comments from gun control advocates. When the bill passed, gun owners stood up and shouted “We will not comply!” Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, the committee chairman, directed law enforcement to clear the room.“Whose side are you on?” people shouted to law enforcement officers when they told people to leave.Del. Nick Rush, R-Montgomery, stood up and tried to speak over the shouting, telling the crowd the officers were just doing their job.Under the revised legislation, people will be able to keep their assault weapons, but it will be illegal to import, sell, transfer or manufacture any assault firearms. There are some exceptions for transfers, such as if it happens at a shooting range for the purpose of target shooting, or as gifts to immediate family members or via wills or estates. The bill also would ban the import, sale or transfer of silencers.The current version of the bill aligns more with the growing research that suggests it is the magazine capacity that may increase the death toll because shooters can fire more rounds before they are stopped. Data shows that when magazines are regulated, they’re used less often in crimes. Virginia has no limits on magazine capacity.In an impassioned speech to the committee, Public Safety Secretary Brian Moran invoked the April 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The shooter killed 32 people and wounded 17 with handguns equipped with high-capacity magazines, enabling him to commit one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history before killing himself.Moran spoke about Professor Liviu Librescu blocking a classroom door so his students could jump out of the second-story window. The shooter forced his way in and shot and killed Librescu with a semi-automatic pistol."When seconds matter, they could escape through that window. Reloading that magazine mattered,” Moran said. “That's why we're here. Just like those students, just like the theatergoers in Aurora, just like the schoolchildren in Newtown, the concertgoers, the nightclub goers in Orlando Florida. Time and again, this is too often.”In Newtown, Connecticut, the shooter fired 154 rounds from an assault rifle and with multiple high-capacity magazines in less than five minutes, killing 20 first-graders and six teachers.Lori Haas said she’s met a mother whose child died at Sandy Hook Elementary and carries the weight of her daughter surviving being shot at Virginia Tech.“You don’t want to know what I know,” Haas said. “Don’t let it happen again.”Del. Tony Wilt, R-Rockingham, said the mass shooting at Virginia Tech was a tragedy, but he said it happened at a gun-free zone.“These are basically killing grounds,” he said to applause from the crowd. “We cannot legislate morality. We cannot stop evil.”The United States had a federal ban on new production — but not ownership — of assault-style rifles between 1994 to 2004. Research is limited and inconclusive about how effective the ban was on reducing gun violence.Currently, seven states and the District of Columbia have their own assault weapons bans, some of which go further than the federal law did.Former Republican Congressman Tom Garrett, who also formerly served in the General Assembly, addressed the committee, warning members that the votes may exist on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down gun restrictions."Instead of banning weapons you're so intimidated of because you fail to understand them, you’ll ensure the ability of Americans to possess them from heretofore,” Garrett said.The House has sent all eight gun control bills that have the backing of the Northam administration to the floor. Not all of the bills the House and Senate have passed are exactly the same, so it’s unknown which ones could ultimately get to the governor’s desk. Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, introduced an assault weapons ban bill, but then scrapped it from being considered.The committee also advanced a few other gun control bills to the floor, including removing the option to take an online course to obtain a concealed carry permit.“These bills will save lives, and that’s why we feel strongly about it,” Hope said.
1. Gun bills to be heard Friday, Feb. 24, at 8 am in House Pubic Safety committee2. Action item: Protest at Democrat Gala in Richmond on Saturday night - Bloomberg and Northam at event1. Gun bills to be heard Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 am in House Pubic Safety committeeThe House Public Safety committee is going to hear the following bills on Friday morning, February 14, at 8 am in the House Committee Room:SB 69, One Handgun a Month (has exception for CHP holders)SB 263, eliminates online training to get a CHP (still recognizes NRA certified instructors)SB 593, requires Licensed Family Day Homes to have all firearms to be unloaded and locked up separate from ammunition, no exception for someone with a CHPTo get to this meeting room, take an immediate left after passing through the metal detectors and go past the guard desk, through the glass doors and the room will be on your right. 2. Action item: Protest at Democrat Gala in Richmond on Saturday night - Bloomberg and Northam at eventOn Saturday, February 15, from 6 pm to 11 pm, there is going to be a Democrat Gala in Richmond, featuring Michael Bloomberg as a speaker. Governor Northam and other Democrats who have been dodging gun owners will also be there. This is a great opportunity for our polite, but firm voices to be heard: Virginia doesn't want any more gun control! Leave law-abiding gun owners ALONE!We know that many of you want to make sure that the Democrats get the message, so we are getting the word out about this opportunity at the gala event.Time: 4:30 pm to 7 pm (we want to be there early, but don't need to stay for the full event.)Location:Main Street Station1500 East Main StreetRichmond, VA 23219
Merely Selling One Magazine Could Send You to Jail for Five Years!Dear Nemo,Democrats aren’t relenting in their confiscation agenda.With the House having passed the ban on household firearms this week, the Senate is now prepared to start pushing it real hard.HB 961 is on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s agenda for Monday. And there is a real possibility that we could defeat this ban in the Senate.Pro-gun Del. Nick Freitas questioned Democrat proponents of HB 961 in the House, but they failed to provide adequate explanations for the legislation.Here's why. The Senate only has a 21-19 Democrat majority and there are four Democrat Senators who might vote against this bill.They are Senators Creigh Deeds (Bath County), John Edwards (Roanoke), Lynwood Lewis (Accomack County), and Chap Petersen (Fairfax).These Democrats especially need to hear from you. But that’s not all.We need “all hands on deck” right now. If every person reading this email were to contact his Senator, we would inundate the Capitol.So please email your state senator today, because this bill is a horrendous attack on our right to keep and bear arms!Here are the highlights of what HB 961 would do: The House-passed HB 961 made the mere possession of magazines that can hold more than 12 rounds of ammunition a Class 1 misdemeanor with 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine. The sale of 12+ round magazines would become a class 6 felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Usurping God-given rights doesn’t seem to bother the new Democrat regime in Richmond! HB 961 also bans the import, sale or transfer of a semi-automatic rifle or pistol with a pistol grip, a second-hand grip, a silencer or a folding stock, or other features. Again, a violation brings five years in jail for a class 6 felony. Do these legislators have any idea how a five-year jail stint would affect a family? We cannot even imagine the impact to unsuspecting, gun owners and their families being punished to this degree, for never harming anyone! Although the “new” version of HB 961 allows present owners of the banned “assault weapons” to keep their guns -- how generous of them! -- all future sales will be banned after July 1, 2020. And repairing a banned gun after this date will not be possible because a “part” of a so-called assault rifle is considered an actual assault rifle!Here is the actual language of the bill which prevents the purchase of repair parts in the future:Assault firearm’ includes any part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert, modify or otherwise alter a firearm into an assault firearm, or any combination of parts that may be readily assembled into an assault firearm.Repair of a legally-owned “assault weapon,” would bring felony charges.Defeating HB 961 in the Senate is a REAL possibility!Since the House vote was so close and a few of Governor Northam’s gun control bills did not pass the Senate, we think there is a good chance to defeat HB 961 in the Senate. But we need your help!Please send a pre-written letter opposing HB 961 to your Senator right away!I assure you: your efforts are definitely having an effect! We still have much more to do to achieve our goal of stopping the passage of this bill.Should it pass despite our best efforts, we will do everything we can to repeal it. But for now, our goal is clear, WE MUST DEFEAT HB 961, the most radical assault on our gun rights whichever threatened Virginians! With your continued support of GOA and your regular contacts with our General Assembly members, I am hopeful we can stop HB 961. We must engage! We can’t give up!Again, thank you for your hard work! I will keep you updated regarding further actions in the senate on HB 961.Now, please take a few minutes to urge your Senator to vote NO on HB 961.Thanks again!In liberty,Erich PrattSenior Vice President
Congratulations, VCDL! Your phone calls, emails, attendance at the Second Amendment Sanctuary hearings, attendance at General Assembly committee hearings, and attendance at Lobby Day has paid off - HB 961, the "assault weapon"/higher-capacity magazine/suppressor/bump stock ban, is DEAD for the year!Thousands of gun owners packed the General Assembly building this morning and flooded the hearing room. After hearing public input and debating between committee members, the bill was passed by for the year!The following Senators voted in a bipartisan manner to protect your rights and kill HB 961 (Republicans in red and Democrats in blue): Chafin, Deeds, Edwards, McDougle, Norment, Obenshain, Petersen, Stanley, Stuart, and Surrovell.The following Senators voted in a partisan manner against your rights: Boysko, Lucas, McClellan, Morrissey, and Saslaw.Next year, the battle will continue, but if we fight like we did this year, vote in every election, and support pro-gun candidates, we will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. We dare not get complacent again.We are far from being out of the woods. Red Flag laws, Universal Background Checks, and destruction of the firearms preemption law are still very much alive this year. Watch for upcoming action items.
