VA-ALERT: An excellent day for gun owners!

[W.E.G.]

VA-ALERT: An excellent day for gun owners!


-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Van Cleave
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 7:57 PM
Subject: VA-ALERT: An excellent day for gun owners!


THE RESTAURANT BAN REPEAL BILL CLEARS HOUSE COMMITTEE!!!

Senator Hanger's restaurant ban repeal, SB 476, passed out of the FULL
House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee today by a 16 to 5
vote!!

The bill is now on its way to the Floor of the House and we should
know its fate in the House by Friday!

As expected, the antis railed against the bill. The Virginia
Restaurant Association (VRA) railed against the bill. But the
committee was having none of it.

The VRA are hypocrites, BTW. The VRA wants the restaurant owner, and
not the government, to set a restaurant's smoking policies. But the
VRA then speaks out of the other side of its mouth saying that they
want government, and NOT the restaurant owner, to set the restaurant's
firearms policies. Which is it, VRA? The owner decides policies or
the government does?

Delegate Morgan Griffith did a superb job of carrying the bill for
Senator Hanger, who was delayed in getting to the meeting. The antis
and the VRA lobbyist were grilled on their illogical reasoning and not
given a free pass to say things that were flat out wrong or misleading.

Honorable mention for helping with the debate also goes to Delegates
Janis, Kilgore, and Athey.

If any of the following Delegates represent you, be sure to take a few
minutes to thank them for their support of SB 476 with a call or email:

Sherwood, Griffith, Kilgore, Wright, Carrico, Lingamfelter, Nutter,
Athey, Janis, Cline, Gilbert, Poindexter, Merricks, Shuler, Lewis,
Bowling

Voting against your rights:

Jim Scott, Barlow, Paula Miller, Poisson, Tyler

Delegate Moran didn't vote.

--

The vehicle carry in a locked container bill clears committee!!!

Senator Vogel's locked container bill, SB 436, cleared the FULL House
Militia, Police and Public Safety committee today by a 17 to 4 vote!!

The bill is now on its way to the Floor of the House and we should
know its fate in the House by Friday!

The State Police (VASP) spoke against the bill, saying that more guns
would be in stolen cars (they really did try to argue that with a
straight face). The committee grilled the VASP spokesman and he had
to admit that many of his arguments were specious. For example, the
VASP spokesman said that officers wouldn't know if a car had a gun in
it if the gun could be locked away out of sight. When he was asked if
the police don't assume that every car has a gun in it anyway, he had
to admit that they do teach their officers to make such an assumption.

Alice Mountjoy, spokeswoman for the latest reincarnation of anti-gun
Virginians Against Handgun Violence, inadvertently did a great job in
making a good case for the bill to pass! Thanks, Alice! The
committee chair asked her to please be brief, but Alice droned on and
on. At one point Alice totally misquoted Senator Vogel to the point
that Senator Vogel went to the microphone to set the record straight!

Oh, and then Delegate Janis asked Alice a question about how
transporting guns is handled in surrounding states and Alice
disrespectfully told Delegate Janis that his question didn't matter
because we were talking about Virginia! Nothing like being
disrespectful to make your point.

Antis truly have anger-management issues.

If any of the following Delegates represent you, be sure to take a few
minutes to thank them for their support of SB 436 with a call or email:

Sherwood, Griffith, Kilgore, Wright, Carrico, Lingamfelter, Nutter,
Athey, Janis, Cline, Gilbert, Poindexter, Merricks, Barlow, Shuler,
Lewis, Bowling

Voting against your rights:

Jim Scott, Paula Miller, Poisson, Tyler

Delegate Moran didn't vote.

--

Paula Miller tried to tell me last year that she is NOT anti-gun. I
sure haven't seen a voting record to back up her assertions.

--

The following pro-gun bills passed the Senate today. HB 873 had a
minor change and will go back to the House Floor for a final up or
down vote. HB 529 heads to the Governor's desk for a signature:

HB 529, Delegate Pogge's bill to allow CHPs to be reissued with a
change of address and also makes CHP renewals run sequentially from
the ending day on the person's old permit.

HB 873, Delegate Johnson's bill that clarifies that training for a CHP
never expires.

--

Great work, VCDL! However, the fight is far from over. Please be
ready for a huge push to lobby the Governor in a few days.

-------------------------------------------
***************************************************************************
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
***************************************************************************

 

[chris in va]

No offense, but I don't think it's a good day for CC permit holders at all. That little last minute 'notify restaraunt you're carrying' thing just negated the whole bill. I might as well open carry.

I can almost guarantee many establishment owners will turn down your request to carry if the law is to be followed.

As it stands right now, the management has to actually come up to YOU and request you leave.

 

[Musketeer]

This is a huge step backwards for packers in VA and they are fooling themselves if they say otherwise.

1. How is it CCW when you have to tell the restaurant you are carrying?
2. At present you can simply expose your weapon and carry in a restaurant with alcohol because OC is legal. You can even have a glass of wine with your steak. The new rule would change this.

Shoot this thing down.

 

[VCDL President]

It is not a step backwards

The bill would allow you to carry in a restaurant EXACTLY as you can today, if you choose not to carry concealed. So the statement that it is a step backwards is incorrect. We lose nothing that we can to today.

I caution everyone not to over analyze the bill.

 

[swman]

ABC licensees could have put a no guns allowed sticker on the door/window. With this bill, asking a resturant/bar owner if you can carry concealed will likely get you thrown out. I, too, don't see this bill as any different from the current law.

 

[chris in va]

So if I wanted to have a small Margarita with my fajitas, I'd still have to open carry?

IMO it's not over analyzing, I just want to be sure my permit doesn't get yanked because someone changed the parameters in the law.

I'm not worried about the restaurant management so much, the vast majority haven't a clue what's going on.

 

[Perldog007]

ABC licensees could have put a no guns allowed sticker on the door/window. With this bill, asking a resturant/bar owner if you can carry concealed will likely get you thrown out. I, too, don't see this bill as any different from the current law.

I wonder if that situation creates a fifth amendment issue. If the establishment has a policy that is binding, announcing that you are in violation could be taken as an admission against interest. If there was any criminal liability would that be self incrimination?

 

[Mr. James]

This is a step forward, folks.

Assuming this measure clears the final hurdle and becomes law, you will still be able to carry openly, if that is your choice. Existing law forces you to open carry, whether you want to or not. Either that, or be seen disarming yourself in the parking lot and leaving your sidearm unattended and at the mercy of thieves.

What the new measure will permit (no pun intended) is carrying concealed. What a novel concept - concealed handgun licensees carrying concealed. The silly notification requirement is a flaw, but once we have the requisite experience without blood flowing out of restaurants, we can chisel at that little annoyance.

As to 5th Amendment concerns, the only penalty for carrying where you're not welcome is you will be invited to leave by the owner, as should be his right. If you refuse and become belligerent, you just might find yourself liable to arrest for trespass. This represents no change at all as far as carrying in restaurants. Under existing law, you can be shown the door for carrying openly.

That's all folks.

This is a good bill, a big step forward, and one long overdue.

God bless the VCDL, and God bless the Old Dominion.