Yesterday, the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 worked through a slate of gun-related legislation and unanimously passed five pro-gun bills: House Bill 20, House Bill 22, House Bill 26, House Bill 375 and House Bill 940. This subcommittee also failed to report the two anti-gun bills: House Bill 364 and House Bill 458.
HB 20, HB 22, HB 26, HB 375 and HB 940 will now all be considered by the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee. Please contact members of this House committee and urge them to support these bills. Contact information can be found below.
Pro-Gun Legislation:
House Bill 20, drafted by the NRA and sponsored by Delegate Tony Wilt (R-25), would update Virginia’s Emergency Powers doctrine by adding lawful carrying and transportation to the list of actions that cannot be prohibited during a declaration of emergency.
House Bill 22, drafted by the NRA in 2009 and sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would establish that no locality or entity may participate in a gun “buyback” program where individuals are given anything of value or money in exchange for surrendering a firearm to the locality unless the governing body first passes an ordinance authorizing the gun “buyback.” This legislation also requires that any locality holding gun "buybacks" sell the firearms to a federally licensed dealer “or be disposed of in any appropriate manner” if they could not be sold.
House Bill 26, sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would allow a court to waive a $25 dollar fine upon presentation of the permit to the court, if a person fails to display his concealed handgun permit when requested by a law enforcement officer.
House Bill 375, sponsored by Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96), would prohibit localities from adopting any workplace rule that prevents an employee from storing a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in his locked motor vehicle. The firearm must be in a secured container or compartment in the vehicle.
House Bill 940, drafted by the NRA and sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would repeal Virginia’s gun-rationing scheme which prohibits the purchase of more than one handgun in a thirty-day period.
Anti-Gun Legislation:
House Bill 364, sponsored by Delegate Jennifer McClellan (D-71), would prohibit the private sales of firearms at gun shows and require that all sales conducted at a gun show go through a federally licensed dealer. Make no mistake, if enacted, supporters of this legislation would have soon be calling for a ban on all private sales in Virginia.
House Bill 458, sponsored by Delegate Mamye BaCote (D-95), seeks to weaken Virginia’s firearms preemption law by allowing localities to adopt an ordinance that prohibits firearms, ammunition, or components, or a combination thereof, in libraries owned or operated by the locality.
House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee:
Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), Chairman
Phone: (804) 698-1031
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Thomas Wright, Jr. (R-61), Vice Chairman
Phone: (804) 698-1061
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Beverly J. Sherwood (R-29)
Phone: (804) 698-1029
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Benjamin Cline (R-24)
Phone: (804) 698-1024
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15)
Phone: (804) 698-1015
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Don Merricks (R-16)
Phone: (804) 698-1016
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Will Morefield (R-3)
Phone: (804) 698-1003
Email: [email protected]
Delegate James Edmunds, II (R-60)
Phone: (804) 698-1060
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Tony Wilt (R-26)
Phone: (804) 698-1026
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Michael J. Webert (R-18)
Phone: (804) 698-1018
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Rick Morris (R-64)
Phone: (804) 698-1064
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Matthew Fariss (R-59)
Phone: (804) 698-1059
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Israel O'Quinn (R-5)
Phone: (804) 698-1005
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Chris Head (R-17)
Phone: (804) 698-1017
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Nick Rush (R-7)
Phone: (804) 698-1007
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Lynwood Lewis (D-100)
Phone: (804) 698-1000
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Roslyn Tyler (D-75)
Phone: (804) 698-1075
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41)
Phone: (804) 698-1041
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47)
Phone: (804) 698-1047
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Scott Surovell (D-44)
Phone: (804) 698-1044
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Kaye Kory (D-38)
Phone: (804) 698-1038
Email: [email protected]
Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-49)
Phone: (804) 698-1049
Email: [email protected]