McAuliffe Shows His Allegiance to Criminals

Last week Virginia Governor McAuliffe vetoed a bill designed to protect victims of domestic abuse. The democrat politician was more concerned over the danger to the abuser than the victim. This week he continues his attacks on law-abiding Virginia citizens with his amendment to a bill to keep the state from sharing concealed handgun permit holder information with states that don't honor Virginia permits. The governor is using the recent arrest of gun runners in New York as an excuse to curb the rights of Virginians by proposing to bring back the one handgun a month law. Only in the mind of a leftist would it seem logical to pass laws affecting law-abiding citizens in response to criminals breaking existing laws. Limiting the firearm purchases of law-abiding people only serves to benefit the criminal element.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League has issued an alert regarding the Governor's shady maneuver.

*** SPREAD THIS FAR AND WIDE - WE NEED PHONE CALLS AND EMAIL SENT IMMEDIATELY ***

We have GOT to protect CHP holders when they travel to states like Maryland!

Governor McAuliffe wants to gut SB 1023, Senator Stuart's bill to keep Virginia from sharing concealed handgun permit holder information with states that don't honor our permits, by replacing it with a One Handgun a Month bill!

What does "One Handgun a Month" have to do with not sharing CHP holder information with hostile states?  Nothing, of course.  As far as gun traces out of Virginia, nothing changed when we got rid of One Handgun a Month and nothing would change if we reinstated it.  It is nothing but political theater.

Unfortunately, McAuliffe seems to be far more interested in appeasing the anti-gun politicians in his home state of New York than he does protecting law-abiding Virginians.

To pass SB 1023 we need both the House and Senate to reject the Governor's changes and then to pass the enrolled version of the bill with a veto-proof 2/3 majority in each body.

WE **CAN** DO THS!  SB 1023 ORIGINALLY PASSED WITH  A VETO-PROOF MAJORITY, BUT WE MUST HANG ON TO THAT MAJORITY OR THE BILL WILL DIE.

URGENT ACTION ITEMS

We need to flood the Senate and House with phone calls and emails, urging them to reject McAuliffe's changes to SB 1023 and to pass the enrolled version of the bill.

THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE DEMOCRAT LEGISLATORS, IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THIS! It does NOT matter if they usually vote wrong: this bill is different - it is more about privacy than guns.

1.  Send a pre-written email to BOTH your Senator and your Delegate - this takes less than 20 seconds, figures out who your legislators are, and sends to both at one time!  Click here:

http://tinyurl.com/mpf4whs

2.  Call your Delegate and Senator at their DISTRICT office, too.  Calls can really help. Their district phone numbers can be found by clicking here:

* Delegates: http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php

* Senators: http://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/index.php

* If you are not sure who your legislators are, click here to find out: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

NEWS ARTICLE ON SB 1023 AND MCAULIFFE

Here is an article on McAuliffe's changes to SB 1023:

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/gov-mcauliffe-s-proposal-to-restore-virginia-s-one-gun/article_63be6252-b782-5718-8046-e680c8519d38.html

As someone who was recently harassed and frisked on the side of the road by Maryland State Thugs, solely for legally transporting firearms in Maryland, this privacy bill strikes close to home. I encourage all Virginian's, gun owner or not, to take action to help fight the Governor's move. Other state governments have no right to the private information of Virginia citizens, especially when they use it solely to hassle law-abiding travelers.

Virginia Gun Legislation Update

A lot of good gun legislation was passed in Virginia this year. Here's a summary provided by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, the pro-rights group which had been instrumental in protecting the rights of gun owning Virginians.

19 gun-rights bills will hit the Governor's desk this year!  4 signed into law already, 2 vetoed (but could be overridden on April 5), and 13 have not been acted on by the Governor yet (he has until March 27).

Number of gun-control bills hitting the Governor's desk: 0

1. Bills signed into law (effective July 1)
2. Vetoed bills that could be overridden on April 5
3. Bills awaiting the Governor's signature or veto by March 27

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1. Bills signed into law (effective July 1)
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* HB 1466, Delegate Fowler, allows Circuit Court Clerks to send email reminders when a CHP is going to expire in at least 90 days

* HB 1849, Delegate Gilbert, allows Circuit Court Clerks to create laminated or plastic CHPs if they choose to do so

* HB 2325, Delegate Fariss, CHP applicants must be provide photo identification, but no long will need to have the application notarized

* HB 2369, Delegate Pogge, CHP holders will no longer be required to provide proof of address when changing the address on their CHP

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2. Vetoed bills that could be overridden on April 5
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* HB 1582, Delegate Campbell, allows an active-duty or honorably-discharged member of the military to get a concealed handgun permit if they are at least 18 years old.  It also fixes reciprocity with Georgia

* HB 1432, Delegate Lee Ware, legalizes switchblade knives (the Senate version of this bill is still working through the General Assembly)

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3. Bills awaiting the Governor's signature or veto by March 27
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* SB 1023, Senator Stuart, prohibits the Virginia State Police from providing Virginia concealed handgun permittee information to law enforcement in states that do not recognize Virginia concealed handgun permits

* HB 2077, Delegate Wilt, prohibits the Governor from disarming citizens in emergency shelters.  This bill is on McAuliffe's desk but has not yet been formally vetoed.  McAuliffe has told the Roanoke Times that he is going to veto it.

* SB 1299, Senator Vogel, makes a protective order a temporary concealed handgun permit

* SB 1300, Senator Vogel, makes firearms safety training free to victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, stalking, etc.

* HB 1852, Delegate Gilbert, similar to SB 1299, Senator Vogel, which makes a protective order a temporary concealed handgun permit

* HB 1853, Delegate Gilbert, similar to SB 1300, Senator Vogel, makes firearms safety training free to victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, stalking, etc.

* HB 2429, Delegate O'Quinn, provides a mechanism to restore gun-rights for a person who had their gun rights removed for a mental health commitment, but now lives out of state

* SB 1315, Senator Carrico, allows foster parents to carry a firearm on their person, otherwise it is to be locked in a closet or cabinet, with the key out of reach of the children

* SB 1347, Senator Reeves, makes switchblades legal

* SB 1362, Senator Black, allows active duty members of the Virginia National Guard, Armed Forces of the United States, and Armed Forces Reserves of the United States to carry concealed without a permit and wherever they go in Virginia, including schools, courthouses, etc.

* SB 1533, Senator Obenshain, allows non-violent felons to possess, transport, and carry either an antique firearm or a back powder firearm for sporting, recreational, or cultural purposes

* HB 1392, Delegate Lingamfelter, authorizes a school security officer to carry a firearm on school property. Such an officer is a retired police officer and the local school board has given him authority to carry a firearm.

* SB 865, Senator Stuart, allows family members to transfer various knives to minor family members for the purpose of engaging in a sporting event or activity

Many of those bills will likely be vetoed by our carpetbagger governor, who's generally more interested in protecting criminals and illegal immigrants than he is in defending the rights of law-abiding citizens. The governor's actions on the bills on his desk will provide a clear picture of his feelings regarding the Constitution and the right to self defense.

First Pro-Freedom Bills Head to McAuliffe

The first three pro-freedom bills of this year's session are headed to the governor's desk. From the VCDL update:

Lobby Day continues to pay off.  All the gun-control bills are now dead for this year.

The following three pro-rights bills have passed both the House and Senate and are headed to the Governor's desk for his signature or veto:

HB1432, Delegate Lee Ware, legalizes switchblades and allows for concealed carry of them in certain cases.

HB 1582, Delegate Jeffrey Campbell, allows active duty or honorably discharged military members who are over 18 and under 21 years old to apply for a CHP.  This would also fix the issue with Georgia not honoring our CHPs.

HB 1849, Delegate Gilbert, allows Circuit Court Clerks to laminate or create plastic CHPs.

There are another 15 pro-rights bills still working through the system in both houses.

We suffered one loss: SB 1441, Senator Glen Sturtevant, would have allowed gun owners to vote absentee if their poling place bans guns.  This bill was put in for VCDL and we thank the Senator for doing so.  We will look at other ways to skin that cat next year.

It's a welcome sign that all the anti-gun bills were killed this year. However, I fully expect our governor, who's more interested helping criminals than law-abiding citizens, will veto the bills without a second glance.

I am most interested in HB 1582 which would likely lead to Georgia honoring Virginia Concealed Handgun Permits. It's interesting that GA doesn't recognize VA due to the Commonwealth of Virginia believing that U.S. military personnel between 18 and 21 cannot be trusted to carry a handgun concealed. Think about that for a moment.

Follow the VCDL Legislation Tracking Tool for the latest on pro-right bills as they move through the legislature.

Fight McAuliffe Mandated Killing Zones

This alert from the Virginia Citizens Defense League highlights the hypocrisy of Governor McAuliffe and his support of gun free killing zones, applicable only to law-abiding citizens. If you are a Virginia resident, please read and take action now.

STATE AGENCY GUN BAN - POLITICS AT ITS WORST

Late last year Governor McAuliffe put into effect an "emergency" ban on the carry of firearms in state agency buildings (DMV, ABC stores, etc.), banning even those with CHPs.

What was the emergency situation that the ban was addressing?  There was none.  When was the last time you heard of a shooting in a state agency building?  When was the last time you heard about one of Virginia's 421,000 CHP holders committing a violent crime?

Everything the Governor does is based on politics and its associated rhetoric.  The state-agency gun-ban is just another example of McAuliffe putting politics over the SAFETY and RIGHTS of Virginia's citizens!

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGREED WITH VCDL AND TRIED TO STOP THE BAN

VCDL urged the General Assembly to clarify that state agencies cannot have any kind of gun ban without the permission of the General Assembly.  Delegate Mike Webert put in HB 1096, a state-agency preemption bill, to do just that.  The bill passed the House by 65 to 33 and the Senate by 21 to 17, but did not become law because McAuliffe showed his disdain for the General Assembly and gun owners by vetoing it.

THE PERMANENT VERSION OF THE GUN BAN HAS A HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31ST

Emergency regulations cannot be in force forever; they have to be replaced with a "permanent" version.

Your written requests for a public hearing on the emergency regulation earlier this year worked! That's why the Commonwealth is having a public hearing on the permanent regulation.

The hearing is next Wednesday, August 31, from 10 AM to noon at:

Pocahantas Building (a block south of Capitol Square)
900 E. Main Street (northwest corner of 10th and Main)
Richmond, VA

**Carry is NOT allowed, with everyone having to go through metal detectors (McAuliffe, always the hypocrite, sure likes HIS security, doesn't he?)**

ACTION ITEM #1: I REFUSE TO ROLL OVER!  WE WILL FIGHT FOR EVERY INCH OF GROUND.  LET'S **PACK** THE MEETING ROOM ON WEDNESDAY!

This is a hearing, so everyone who wants to speak will be allowed to do so.  There is a sign-up sheet, with names called in the order they are on the sheet.  You will have two minutes to speak. No signs are allowed, but VCDL GSL stickers will be available.

You can simply say, "I oppose this regulation."  If you wish to say more than that, here are some talking points:

1.  Where is the problem this is supposed to solve?  There have been no shootings in Virginia state agency buildings and the ban on concealed carry is even more unreasonable, as CHP holders are the most law-abiding group of citizens in the Commonwealth.

2.  The Governor has no direct authority from the General Assembly to ban guns in state agency buildings.  To that end, this year the General Assembly passed a bill clarifying that the Governor cannot do any type of gun control without the express permission of the General Assembly.  The only reason that bill did not become law is that the Governor vetoed it!  This action ignores the will of the People, as expressed through their elected representatives in the General Assembly.

3.  Since 1960, all but two of the public mass-shootings have been in gun-free-zones, like this regulation creates.  This would make state-agency buildings in Virginia less secure, not more secure!

ACTION ITEM #2: WE ALL NEED TO COMMENT ON THE PERMANENT BAN

Click here to leave your written comment opposing the permanent regulation (my comment is the first one on the list).  The title should clearly state that you oppose the regulation:

http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/comments.cfm?stageid=7579

The written comment period ends on October 21.

The megalomaniac in the governor's mansion is the same elitist who violated the Virginia constitution in an attempt to pad the voter roles for Hillary Clinton. The governor is a political thug who cares only for his leftist comrades, not the people of Virginia.

It's a Game of Inches

There's been a lot of discussion the past few days regarding the recent "compromise" on gun rights in Virginia. While nothing has yet been signed, and legislation is still in the works, the details are starting to emerge. While most gun owners are seeing good in this, some gun rights activists are upset at the notion of ANY compromise. Unfortunately that attitude could also mean no progress. It's also become quite apparent that the anti-rights contingent on the left is absolutely livid. (That in itself gives me pleasure and is a positive sign.)

If the governor keeps his word, Virginia will honor concealed carry permits from ALL states. This is an improvement over what we had before the Attorney General and State Police Supervisor plotted to rescind reciprocity agreements with 25 states. If all the legislation involved moves forward, and if McAuliffe signs it, Virginia permits could probably possibly be accepted in most other states which allow concealed carry. It will likely take some time before those additional reciprocity agreements are hashed out across the country.  (I'm keeping my Utah permit nonetheless.)

During his press conference last Friday, Governor McAuliffe spent a lot of time hyping the closing of the so-called "gun show loophole" and fighting domestic violence. Some 2nd Amendment rights advocates have argued that forcing these "fixes" was the intent all along of McAuliffe and Herring. If that's the case, the governor is an extremely poor negotiator, or just not very smart. Or both. The "fix" for the "loophole" is to require the State Police to be on hand at all gun shows to perform VOLUNTARY background checks for sellers who want to do them before selling a gun. Private sellers have ALWAYS had the option to do that. The proposed regulation regarding Permanent Protective Orders simply models law that already exists under federal law.

I happen to believe that McAuliffe was never fully supportive of Herring's action, even if he agreed on principle. This week the Governor even admitted "But we have no record of anyone in the last 25 years being injured or hurt with (sic) someone who came into our state with a concealed weapon." Once he saw the fallout from his Attorney General's decree, he became downright scared. He has come to recognize just how strong the pro-rights support is in the legislature, and learned that gun rights is not a strict Republican/Democrat issue. "Pro-gun" bills have been moving forward, and some possibly with veto-proof majorities. As a friend termed it, McAuliffe made a "tactical retreat." It's telling that while McAuliffe was touting this "historic" compromise, while heaping praise on Mark Herring for helping to initiate it, the Attorney General was conspicuously absent from the stage. A planned strategy or a mistake, the end result is the same — the leftists took another beating and freedom won. Although the politicians are apparently not allowed to admit it.

My impression is there is national trend towards the restoration of 2nd Amendment rights, despite the occasional setbacks. There are losses at times, but net change seems to be happening for the good. Those fighting for gun rights with an "all or nothing" attitude will be disappointed and, I think, may even hurt the fight. I strongly believe we should ask permission of NO person, or state, to exercise a right and to provide for the defense of our families and ourselves in the best means possible. Unfortunately the rules imposed on us by the power-hungry elite have reduced our expression of certain rights. We must fight continually to have the recognition (not granting) of those rights restored. It seems, for now, patriots in Virginia are making steps in the right direction.

Virginia Executive Office Debate

Attorney General Mark Herring (December 22, 2015): "Strong, consistent enforcement of Virginia's laws and safety standards can prevent disqualified people who may be dangerous or irresponsible from utilizing a concealed handgun permit, and it's what the law requires."

Governor Terry McAullife (February 1, 2016): "I appreciate the work the attorney general did on this. But we have no record of anyone in the last 25 years being injured or hurt with (sic) someone who came into our state with a concealed weapon."

McAuliffe Sees the Writing on the Wall

A month after Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced he was rescinding Concealed Handgun Permit reciprocity with 25 other states, and just days before the change was to take effect, our anti-gun governor has struck a deal with law makers to rescind that rescinding. The Washington Post reports...

Gov. Terry McAuliffe plans to announce Friday that Virginia will restore handgun reciprocity agreements with nearly all states, in a stunning reversal of firearms policy that angered Republicans and gun rights advocates across the nation.

The about-face is part of a deal that McAuliffe (D) struck with Republican leaders one month after Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) severed the right for gun owners in 25 states to have their concealed carry permits recognized in Virginia.

The devil is in the details, and we must wait to see what they are. There are a few concessions already known that the governor pushed as part of his capitulation. The state police will be on hand at gun shows to do voluntary background checks for private sellers. Private sellers have always had the option to participate in the background check process, so that's little change from the current situation. A person subject to a domestic protective order will not be eligible for a concealed handgun permit while under the order. The protective order system does carry the possibility of abuse, but still there's not much room to argue with this in my opinion. Finally, people who have had their VA permit revoked cannot use a permit from another state in Virginia. Ignoring that we shouldn't need a permit to exercise a right in the first place, these so-called "concessions" already exist for all intents and purposes.

So what brought about the change in the governor's stance that saw him gain so little? At this point one can only speculate. It could be that Herring's order was just a trial balloon, one that failed miserably. There's no doubt that McAuliffe and Herring are of like-mind when it comes to restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens. I've heard it suggested that the governor was not happy with Herring's move. While McAuliffe may agree in principle, he could not have been pleased with the instant, and national, political fallout. Upsetting 420,000 Virginia permit holders on both sides of the aisle was not a wise move. I suspect McAuliffe was seeing the writing on the wall in the form of the overwhelming pro-rights support in legislative committees this session. Nearly every pro-gun bill was moving forward, while bills from the antis were dropping regularly. It's easy to argue that McAuliffe was in for an embarrassing political shellacking, and he is hoping to avoid even more pro-gun legislation coming across his desk. The governor stood to lose his "perfect" veto-proof record to date. (And he could still see that record fall.) One does have to wonder what Michael Bloomberg is thinking about his investment now.

This story is still unfolding and there's been no comment yet from the Attorney General. There's always the chance that there are more "concession" requests to come, but on the surface this is more of a win for freedom than a loss. There's been nothing said about dropping any other pro-gun legislation currently under consideration. We will still be watching the legislature closely as the battle goes on to fully defend the 2nd Amendment.

See "Va. will once again recognize concealed carry permits from other states" for more on McAuliffe's reversal of the Attorney General's actions.

Governor McAuliffe Fights Gun Violence

A most excellent analysis:

PRESS RELEASE

Governor McAuliffe Creates Gun-Free Zones to Stop the Carnage in State Agency Buildings!

Richmond, December 4, 2015:  Virginia Governor McAuliffe, in order to stop all the continued bloodshed in state-agency buildings, has made an EMERGENCY regulation to ban guns in those buildings effective immediately!

The reasons this is an emergency action are numerous:

* There has been a horrendous and eye-popping ZERO shootings in state-agency buildings!  The Governor plans to fix that problem with this gun ban.

* Virginia’s 400,000 concealed handgun permit holders, with a pretty much ZERO PERCENT violent crime rate, are clearly a serious and ongoing threat to all of our state agencies!

*  Likewise, off-duty police officers, another proven group of untrustworthy, unbalanced, and potentially murderous time-bombs, could start shooting up state agencies because of long lines. Only on-duty police should be allowed to carry a gun!

*  Importantly, terrorists and active shooters have shown NO interest in violating gun-control laws by attacking in gun-free zones.  Gun-free government buildings are especially safe from attack!

*  Anyway, it’s far safer for citizens to be executed one-at-a-time than for those same citizens to have a gun to fight back with!  Why, somebody might get hurt!  Only the Governor’s 24/7 security team needs guns, as it goes without saying that some lives are much more important than others.

*  As a bonus, the Commonwealth has a glut of chalk used to draw lines around dead bodies.  This will reduce those inventories, saving space in the State Police headquarters building!

To the blood-thirsty naysayers of his gun ban, the Governor says:

* I am NOT paying back Michael Bloomberg’s million dollar campaign donation by pushing his major issue - more gun control!  That’s merely a coincidence.

* I am not pushing Hilary Clinton’s favorite issue - gun control - because I want to be Hillary Clinton’s Vice-Presidential running mate!  That’s merely a coincidence.

* I do have a thorough understanding of state gun laws!  I know, for example, that it is illegal for Virginians to own machine guns.

All hail the Governor for doing SOMETHING to make Virginia safe from those evil and dangerous concealed handgun permit holders and off-duty police officers, and making state-agency buildings SAFE for active shooters and terrorists!

H/T to VCDL.

More on the executive order signed by Bloomberg's puppet in Virginia.

Governor McAuiliffe: Hypocrite-at-large

A tireless elitist, he brought his armed guard to an anti-gun rally in DC. "Guns for me, not thee."

By the way Governor, even with a background check I cannot have a gun for my own protection in DC. I guess telling the truth is not convenient to your agenda.

Notice also the Governor's cowardice in running from the questioning. Typical of the leftists.