Yesterday, the Senate passed pro-gun Senate Bill 1191 by a 28 to 11 vote. Sponsored by Senator Tommy Norment (R-3), SB 1191 would amend the felony charge for having a firearm on school property to require that the person must have knowingly possessed the firearm. (Sent to House of Delegates)
Also yesterday, the Virginia House Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 took up the following anti-gun bills:
OPPOSE House Bill 1548: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47), HB 1548 would revoke the concealed handgun permit of those who are 90 days or $5,000 delinquent on their child support payments. Being behind on child-support payments is not relevant to your constitutional right to defend yourself and does not indicate that you are a violent person or a danger to others. Individuals who find themselves in hard times should not lose the ability to protect themselves as concealed handgun permit holders. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1604: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Ken Plum (D-36), HB 1604 would require that a background check be performed on all private gun sales at gun shows, even though the vast majority of firearms sales at these shows are transacted by licensed retailers that already conduct such checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), as required by federal law. This legislation would not reduce crime and serves only to affect law-abiding gun owners by creating mandates and restrictions on the lawful purchase and possession of firearms.(Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1671: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Marcus Simon (D-53), HB 1671 would arbitrarily limit the number of handguns most Virginia residents could purchase to one-per-month. (Passed-by-indefinitely, by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1801: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Lionell Spruill (D-77), HB 1801 would require private sellers at gun shows to display their contact information and restricts their freedom regarding what they can and cannot say about their transaction. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1864: Sponsored by Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11), HB 1864 would create additional reporting requirements to be provided to the Virginia State Police by gun show promoters, creating more work for exhibitors at gun shows with no clear public safety benefit. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1904: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-49), HB 1904 imposes an arbitrary minimum age at which a person would be allowed to receive firearm safety training. It should be up to parents to decide when their children are mature and physically strong enough to learn about gun safety. (Passed-by-indefinitely, by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1909: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-49), HB 1909 criminalizes the manufacture, importation, possession, purchase, sale or transfer of any standard capacity magazine able to hold more than 20 rounds, unless the magazine is registered with the Department of State Police. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1923: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Kathleen Murphy (D-34), HB 1923 criminalizes the private transfer of firearms, except between immediate family members. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 1997: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Joe Morrissey (I-74), HB 1997 would arbitrarily limit the number of handguns most Virginia residents could purchase to one-per-month. (Passed-by-indefinitely, by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 2085: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Kathleen Murphy (D-34), HB 2085 expands “prohibited persons” for possession and transportation of a firearm to individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors. (Laid on table by voice vote)
OPPOSE House Bill 2232: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Scott Surovell (D-44), HB 2232 would extend the current prohibition on the purchase, possession or transportation of a firearm to ammunition for anyone who has been involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment. Individuals are already barred from possession and transportation of a firearm in these instances. (Laid on table by voice vote)
On Wednesday, January 28, the House Courts of Justice Committee took up the following two bills:
SUPPORT House Bill 1666: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Buddy Fowler (R-55), HB 1666 would allow former Virginia residents to petition to have their gun rights restored in the same manner as residents. (Passed unanimously with substitute and sent to full House of Delegates)
SUPPORT House Bill 2286: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Michael Webert (R-18), HB 2286 makes it possible for individuals who had their rights fully restored in other states to possess firearms in Virginia. Under current case law, people with felony convictions whose rights were restored by those states, are nonetheless prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition here. (Passed by a 15 to 5 vote and sent to full House of Delegates)
Also on Wednesday, January 28, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee passed NRA-opposed Senate Bill 943 by a 10 to 4 vote. Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Barbara Favola (D-31), SB 943 expands “prohibited persons” for transportation and possession of a firearm to individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors. (Referred to Senate Finance Committee)
On Monday, January 26, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee took up the following bills:
SUPPORT Senate Bill 689: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Dick Black (R-13), SB 689 maintains the current five year concealed handgun permit and also provides applicants with the option of a permit that does not expire unless revoked or suspended. (Passed by 10 to 4 vote and referred to Finance)
SUPPORT Senate Bill 828: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Dick Black (R-13), SB 828 would allow the possession of firearms on private and religious school property. (Stricken at the request of patron)
SUPPORT Senate Bill 1132: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 1132 would allow a person with a valid concealed handgun permit to carry on school grounds after hours, or store a concealed handgun in a motor vehicle in the parking lot. (Passed by 8 to 5 vote and sent to Senate floor)
SUPPORT Senate Bill 1137: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 1137 would prohibit local ordinances that ban concealed carry permit holders from transporting a loaded rifle or shotgun, eliminating a patchwork of inconsistent laws that are unnecessarily confusing for law-abiding citizens. (Passed by 10 to 4 vote and sent to Senate floor)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 694: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator David Marsden (D-37), SB 694 would require that a background check be performed on all private gun sales at gun shows, even though the vast majority of firearms sales at these shows are transacted by licensed retailers that already conduct such checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as required by federal law. This legislation will not reduce crime and serves only to affect law-abiding gun owners by creating mandates and restrictions on the lawful purchase and possession of firearms. (Incorporated into SB 993)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 768: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Don McEachin (D-9), SB 768 would criminalize private firearm sales or transfers to anyone outside of immediate family members by creating a Class 2 misdemeanor for individuals to buy, sell, trade or transfer a firearm to individuals who are not a licensed dealer. (Defeated by 4 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 798: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Mamie Locke (D-2), SB 798 would arbitrarily limit the number of handguns most Virginia residents could purchase to one-per-month. (Defeated by 4 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 909: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Janet Howell (D-32), SB 909 would prohibit anyone subject to a protective order from possessing a firearm, without the protections of due process. NRA believes that revocation of an individual’s constitutional right should be subject to due process, not accusations that lack being substantiated through some form of judicial review. (Defeated by 4 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 912: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Jennifer Wexton (D-33), SB 912 would create a 90-day firearms restriction period for anyone subject to an emergency custody order, without due process of law. (Stricken at request of patron)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 993: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Louise Lucas (D-18), SB 993 would change certain definitions related to gun shows in order to prohibit private sales of firearms. (Defeated by 6 to 9 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 1108: Sponsored by Senator Linda Puller (D-36), SB 1108 would revoke concealed handgun permits of those who are 90 days or $5,000 delinquent on their child support payments. Being behind on child-support payments is not relevant to your constitutional right to defend yourself and does not indicate that you are a violent person or a danger to others. Likewise, misdemeanor offenses should not warrant the permanent loss of Second Amendment rights when no other civil right is lost in the Commonwealth for conviction of misdemeanor offenses. (Defeated by 4 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 1178: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30), SB 1178 contains numerous anti-gun provisions, including the criminalization of private firearm transfers, repealing permit holder confidentiality and allowing that a person may be held civilly liable for injury or death of another resulting from the use of a firearm by a child under the age of 14. (Defeated by 5 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 1179: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30), SB 1179 imposes an arbitrary minimum age at which a person would be allowed to receive firearm safety training. It should be up to parents to decide when their children are mature and physically strong enough to learn about gun safety. (Defeated by 5 to 10 vote)
OPPOSE Senate Bill 1215: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30), SB 1215 would criminalize the sale of any ivory or ivory product, making sales of previously legally acquired ivory and horn products a serious felony, even if the seller was ignorant of the law and presumed the item’s original lawful acquisition shielded it from the scope of regulation. This would impact the sale and trade of some of America’s most historically-significant and collectible guns. (Stricken at request of patron)
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