Of the 190+ gun related bills filled in statehouses, 67 weaken gun control, and 114 strengthen gun laws. On the spectrum, red is less control, and blue means more control. I know where I want to live!
Since the president laid out his gun control proposals some states are proposing stricter laws while others say they won’t enforce Federal laws or the President’s executive orders. Some are going a step further, aiming to make it a crime for a federal agent to try and enforce the law in their states. This link from ABC News has an interesting “slide show” summarizing what many states are proposing. I was researching Massachusetts last night, and they had about 30 new Bills just submitted this week to increase gun control.
Take the time to write your reps for your state Legislatures as well, this is not just a Federal issue. New York was only the first state to fall. Stand up for your 2nd Amendment Rights!
Here are changes to current bills that update the VCDL Legislation Tracking Tool.
New bills were just introduced, both bad and good (from restoring the One
Handgun A Month law to providing CHP holders a faster background check when
buying a gun). Other items are changing status, such as from STRONGLY
SUPPORT to NEUTRAL, etc, after the bill has been changed in committee.
1. Change HB 1391 from STRONGLY SUPPORT to STRONGLY OPPOSE. New
description: ” in current form bans guns from General Assembly Building,
except for legislators.”
2. Change SB 786 from STRONGLY OPPOSE to NEUTRAL. New description:
“current version requires police to enter stolen gun information into the
NCIC system.”
3. Change SB 864 from STRONGLY OPPOSE to NEUTRAL. New Description:
“provides that a person subject to an emergency protective order cannot
physically possess a gun in the home of the alleged victim nor transport a
gun once served.”
4. New: STRONGLY OPPOSE: HB 2251, Delegate Lopez, places severe
restrictions on the sale, transfer, & possession of magazines that will hold
more than 20 rounds. The restrictions would not apply to the police or
military. Possession of such a magazine is only allowed if no lower
capacity magazine will work in the firearm and possession requires
registration and a background check. A registrant is limited to three high
capacity magazines and must otherwise dispose of all magazines in excess of
that limit.
5. New: STRONGLY OPPOSE: HB 2263, Delegate Krupicka, authorizes the
state to temporarily confiscate the firearms and ammunition of anyone who
certain medical and other professionals feels has made a threat of suicide
or other violence. This law would discourage someone from seeking help.
6. Change SB 1214 from OPPOSE to NEUTRAL. New Description: “adds items to
violent felonies”
7. Change HB 1746 from OPPOSE to NEUTRAL. New Description: “adds items to
violent felonies”
8: New: OPPOSE: HB 2235, Delegate Lingamfelter, increases the penalties
for using a gun in a crime. This is a “feel good” measure that will not
make anyone any safer and it, yet again, villainizes guns. What this bill
says is that the penalty for a crime should be determined by the tool the
criminal uses. So, if a criminal uses a knife to murder someone, that’s not
a big deal. But if they use a gun to murder the same person, then we’re
really going to go after them! Why don’t we go after them equally anytime
they commit a murder or other violent crime? Dead is dead and murder is
murder, irrespective of the tool the murderer uses.
8: Change HB 1415 from NEUTRAL to OPPOSE
9. New: NEUTRAL: HB 2240, Delegate Cosgrove, shares information on
protective orders and other gun purchase/possession disqualifications with
the federal government.
10. NEW: STRONGLY SUPPORT: HB 2317, Delegate Anderson, allows military
personnel residing in a nearby state and commuting to a duty post in
Virginia, to be able to purchase guns in Virginia.
11. New: STRONGLY OPPOSE: HB 2327, Delegate Brink, reimplements the old
“One Handgun a Month” rationing law.
12: New: STRONGLY SUPPORT: HB 2340, Delegate Marshall, prohibits state
agencies, local governments, or employees thereof from assisting the federal
government in any searches, seizures related to firearms, ammunition, or
magazines. Also any federal attempt to create a private sale background
check requirement will be treated likewise.
13: New: STRONGLY SUPPORT: HB 2340, Delegate Lingamfelter, gives CHP
holders an expedited background check when purchasing a firearm.
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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]
Chuck –
What a great tool, and very good information. Thank you for sharing it. I think that most people are unaware about how much legislation is moving right now. Because of all my virtual interaction with gun loving people, I forget – and then I talk to people at work (military people) and even most of them are very passive on this issue. They are not even going to know what hit them when they finally wake up!
~Lil
Gun control should mean controlling the recoil and hitting your target.
None of this new nonsense will do anything to stop crazy and criminals from killing folks.
Chuck beat me to it, and most of the VA stuff got stopped and never got out of committee…
Maryland is about to become a nice shade blue after O’mally gets done…I say they want our guns? We give em the bullets first!