It looks like Virginians will have to stick with buying only one hand gun a month in the Old Dominion.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee killed House Bill 49 which would have lifted the 16 year old restriction on the number of handguns a person can buy. The purpose of the law that was enacted in 1993 was to prevent gun running. Crooks bought guns by the case in Virginia and resold them in the North East where gun pruchase was more restricted. Tracing the guns used felonies were traced back to Virginia in greater number than any other state. Governor Douglas Wilder was a strong supporter of the one hand gun a month legislation.
Many moderates feel comfortable with things the way they are. Others will not be happy with the fact that this bill got stalled in committee. Our neighbors to the north, however, are probably very glad that we wont be back to being the gun running state.
It was great to hear that the Senate broke it’s own rules to scuttle these bills. Funny how only Republicans can be seen as the party of ‘no’ or as obstructionists but when the VA senate violates it’s own rules to do the same they’re lauded.
If the bills died because they were bad bills; thats something that happens and is part of our democratic process. But, if a bill is killed because of one party breaking rules to do so – all persons should look at who is doing this and run them out of town.
And all this gun running non-sense is just that. No facts to support any of the speculation. None at all.
Dangit!!! My Gun-Running Days are behind me for good. Curses! If New York weren’t a Democratically-run crap-hole, where they tax all the decent elements away into NJ, maybe they wouldn’t have a problem. Listen close folks, if bad guys don’t get their guns from Virginia, it’ll be someplace else. Where there is demand, the market will find supply. Gun Bans, like in New York, do not work, except to ensure only the bad guys have guns.
That being said, I’m a Concealed Carry Permit holder, so I don’t really care all that much. I made do with one a month. But for the record, not only do I not care what New York thinks, I’d be more inclined to do anything possible to make them made. What are they gonna do? Tax their people more?
make them mad….you know what I’m saying.
Explain where rules were broken. I don’t feel that anyone is lauding anything. where do you feel the lawmakers were lauded here?
I hear you, captain slow. I don’t have a problem with 12 a month. It isn’t a sword I am going to fall on one way or another. Most Virginians, even my NRA friends have told me off the record that they have no problem with the current law.
When I ask why anyone needs more than one a month, especially with ways to legitimately circumvent the law if need be, no one really comes up with a good answer.
MH,
20 (h). The Chair of any Committee may appoint subcommittees to consider a particular bill or resolution or to consider matters relative to a portion of the work of the Committee. Such subcommittees ***shall*** make recommendations to the Committee. The Chair of the full Committee shall be an ex officio member of all subcommittees and entitled to vote, but shall not be counted as a member for purposes of a quorum. All subcommittees shall be governed by the Rules of the Senate.
The subcommittee could’ve said this bill is crap we recommend no but it should’ve gone to the full committee for a vote by the Senate’s own rules.
Cite http://hodcap.state.va.us/publications/SenateRules.pdf
Guns will still get to NY, CA, MD, and DC. Regardless of the rules or laws in-place in those areas guns DO get into those areas (which shows you how useless the laws are anyway) and those states will still have the high crime problem that they ‘blame’ on other states.
Look, if the bills were killed because they didn’t have the votes – fine. That’s acceptable. That’s how the system works. But, when someone changes the rules midstream because they know they’re going to lose a straight up and down vote – how can anyone not be mad at that.
What if the Republicans had done the same to scuttle school funding or any other ‘democrat priority’. Would we not be hearing from the WPost how evil those lawmakers were?
With all the talk of a people wanting to discuss politics in a civil manner and coming to a compromise — how does any of yesterdays actions advance that?
Maybe these state democrats are bucking for national positions where lapses in ethics get you put in charge of Ways and Means or all the other lapses in ethical standards we see at the pro-level.
I would flip your previous statement around MH. If you know no-one that would take advantage of the new law and buy more guns then why oppose it?
Obviously everyone doesn’t want to discuss politics in a civil manner. I don’t see where anyone cheated. It is done all the time by both parties.
As for the guns getting into the north east by crooks, statistics do not support your contention. VA went from #1 supplier to #6.
I wasn’t suggesting that people were taking advantage of the law. I am referring to methods legitimate gun buyers can go through if they need to buy more than one hand gun. I am satisfied with the law the way it is.
“I don’t see where anyone cheated. It is done all the time by both parties. ” That statement is mutually exclusive. Either they cheated and it’s done by both parties or they didn’t.
I know I won’t get an answer to this but if you can regulate what a person buys and how much of it they can buy… could they not then regulate what operations a doctor could perform and how many times (like abortion)?
We need to be cautious when allowing the govt this much power.
marin, your logic is difficult to follow.
No you won’t get an answer because the quantum leap is a non sequitur.
You think the Senate cheated. I don’t. I said it is done all the time. Its part of the rules.
The word shall means you must. If the word was ‘may’ the subcommittee could kill it. The House of Delegates allows for subcommittes to kill bills. The senate does not. The Senate did. Senate broke its own rules. We trust a govt where we must follow its laws but it won’t follow its rules.
Another way of looking at this would be; could the State say women are limited to 1 abortion a year. If we can limit what a private party can do with another (like buyer with gun dealer) it’s not that far of a leap to say that the Staet *could* regulate abortions or any other activity in such a manner.
Actually, no the state couldn’t. Federal law supercedes state law.
Sub committees are used all the time to kill bills. Why should this one be exempt?
Federal law only says abortions are legal; never says how many are allowed in any given time period.
See how that works? You can claim someone’s 2A rights aren’t violated because you allow them a ration of what is thought of as ‘appropriate’. That’s a very dangerous game when it’s done to other things as well….
The law has been around for 17 years. Many people are satisfied with it. Gun rights and abortion rights can’t be compared other than opponents try to whittle away at both.
How about telling me why you need to buy more than one handgun a month, especially when you can get a variance through the state police.
For the simple reason that I should not have to ask the permission of the government for a fundamental human right – the right to arms and the right to contract with a private party.
If they want to limit the number of guns purchased — and registered – in a day, they might better expand the dealers permit requirements to apply to such purchases than simply limit such prchases. Its a goofy solution.