Va: House Action

WAGCEVP

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House Kills Restaurant Ban Repeal and Concealed-carry Recognition;
Fight Moves to Senate

Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102 / Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

February 7, 2001


Dear Virginia Gun Rights Supporter,

On Monday, the House of Delegates killed full Restaurant Ban Repeal
and real Concealed-carry Recognition.

By a vote of 14-83, the House killed an amendment to H.B. 2658 that
would have fully repealed the Restaurant Ban allowing honest,
law-abiding gun owners to carry concealed into a steak house or
local pizzeria. (See vote below.)

The House then rejected H.B. 2658, Delegate Ware's modified
Restaurant Ban Repeal, by a vote of 41-58 (see vote below), after
the House further watered down the bill with an amendment that would
have established a zero tolerance policy so that anyone caught even
sipping wine with a concealed weapon would be guilty of a class 3
misdemeanor.

For several hundred years, Virginias were able to carry concealed in
a restaurant, but in 1995 the Virginia General Assembly passed the
Restaurant Ban, rendering Virginians with a concealed-carry permit
completely defenseless while eating a meal or going to and from
their car at their favorite steak house or pizzeria.

The House also passed H.B. 2130, by Delegate McClure, which includes
so-called "reciprocity" language that actually makes it harder to
recognize other states' concealed carry permits by leaving all
decisions to unelected, anti-gun bureaucrats.

An amendment to H.B. 2130 to strike this language and add real
Concealed-carry Recognition also failed.

If real Concealed-carry Recognition would have passed, Virginia
concealed-carry permit holders would then be able to protect
themselves in many states that also have a concealed carry law.

Under Virginia's current law, we only have reciprocity agreements
with two other states and the bureaucrats between the states took
one and a half years to negotiate an agreement. If Virginia passes
a recognition law that recognizes Florida's concealed carry permit,
for example, then Florida automatically recognizes Virginia's.

The fight to restore your right of self-defense is not over yet.

The fight now goes to the Senate.

That's why I hope you will e-mail Senator Malfourd Trumbo at
district22@sov.state.va.us or call him at 804-698-7522 and urge him
to amend H.B. 2130 with full Restaurant Ban Repeal when it comes
before the Senate.

Please ask Senator Trumbo to amend H.B. 2130 by completely striking
section J3 from 18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia, which deals with
the Restaurant Ban.

And tell your Senator to support any and all attempts to amend
H.B. 2130 with full Restaurant Ban Repeal.

Sincerely,

Dennis Fusaro
Director of State Legislation

P.S. Please use the pre-written message below and e-mail Senator
Trumbo today. His e-mail is: district22@sov.state.va.us


***** House vote to pass full Restaurant ban Repeal *****

YEAS (14) -- Abbitt, Almand, Armstrong, Bryant, Cranwell, Deeds,
Dudley, Jackson, Joannou, Kilgore, Putney, Robinson, Stump, Tate

NAYS (83) -- Albo, Amundson, Barlow, Baskerville, Bennett, Black,
Blevins, Bloxom, Bolvin, Brink, Broman, Byron, Callahan, Clement,
Councill, Cox, Crittenden, Darner, Day, DeBoer, Devolites,
Diamonstein, Dickinson, Dillard, Drake, Grayson, Griffith, Hall,
Hamilton, Hargrove, Harris, Howell, Hull, Ingram, Johnson,
Jones, D.C., Jones, J.C., Jones, S.C., Katzen, Keister, Landes,
Larrabee, Louderback, Marshall, May, McClure, McDonnell, McEachin,
McQuigg, Melvin, Moran, Morgan, Moss, Nixon, O'Bannon, O'Brien,
Orrock, Parrish, Phillips, Pollard, Purkey, Rapp, Reid, Rhodes,
Rollison, Rust, Scott, Sherwood, Shuler, Spruill, Suit, Tata,
Thomas, Van Landingham, Van Yahres, Wardrup, Ware, Watts,
Weatherholtz, Welch, Wilkins, Williams, Wright

NOT VOTING (3) -- Christian, Plum, Woodrum


***** House vote on final passage of H.B. 2658 *****

YEAS (41) -- Abbitt, Armstrong, Bennett, Black, Broman, Byron, Cox,
Cranwell, Deeds, Dickinson, Griffith, Ingram, Jackson, Joannou,
Johnson, Katzen, Keister, Kilgore, Landes, Louderback, Marshall,
McClure, Morgan, Nixon, O'Bannon, Parrish, Phillips, Pollard,
Putney, Rapp, Reid, Robinson, Sherwood, Stump, Tate, Thomas, Ware,
Weatherholtz, Welch, Wilkins, Wright

NAYS (58) -- Albo, Almand, Amundson, Barlow, Baskerville, Blevins,
Bloxom, Bolvin, Brink, Bryant, Callahan, Clement, Councill,
Crittenden, Darner, Day, DeBoer, Devolites, Diamonstein, Dillard,
Drake, Dudley, Grayson, Hall, Hamilton, Hargrove, Harris, Howell,
Hull, Jones, D.C., Jones, J.C., Jones, S.C., Larrabee, May,
McDonnell, McEachin, McQuigg, Melvin, Moran, Moss, O'Brien, Orrock,
Plum, Purkey, Rhodes, Rollison, Rust, Scott, Shuler, Spruill, Suit,
Tata, Van Landingham, Van Yahres, Wardrup, Watts, Williams, Woodrum

NOT VOTING (1) -- Christian


***** Pre-written message to Senator Malfourd Trumbo *****

Dear Senator Trumbo,

Please make a motion on the Senate floor to amend H.B. 2130 with
full Restaurant Ban Repeal by completely striking section J3 from
18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia.

Today, more than 156,000 honest, law-abiding concealed carry holders
in Virginia are left completely defenseless while eating a meal in a
restaurant or going to and from their car at their favorite steak
house or pizzeria.

Full Restaurant Ban Repeal would simply restore the right of
self-defense to these law abiding citizens and eliminate restaurant
"safety-free zones" where criminals commit their offenses against
citizens who have been disarmed by current law.

Please take the lead on the Senate floor to repeal the Restaurant
Ban.

Sincerely,

Name: ______________________

Address: ____________________

City/ST/Zip: _________________
 
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