Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL)

Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
PO. Box 513, Newington, VA 22122 • 804-639-0600 • 703-372-3285 • 757-271-3705 • 540-446-5783

02/21/08 - Restaurant ban repeal going to Governor!!!

GREAT NEWS! For the first time EVER, the restaurant ban repeal has cleared BOTH the Senate AND the House and is now on its way to the Governor's desk!!! Also, the locked container bill passed the House and is on its way to the Governor's desk!!! In was a very contentious day on the House Floor, as you will see: -- RESTAURANT BAN REPEAL Senator Hanger's restaurant ban repeal, SB 476, passed the House today by a large margin (62 to 36)! Not veto proof, but very, very close to that magic 67 number. The vote was bipartisan and should send a strong message to Governor Kaine that a large portion of the House and Senate want this bill signed into law. VCDL thanks the following Delegates for supporting this important bill: Abbitt, Alexander, Armstrong, Athey, Bell, Bouchard, Bowling, Bulova, Byron, Carrico, Cline, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Griffith, Hogan, Algie Howell, Hugo, Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Joannou, Johnson, Chris Jones, Kilgore, Landes, Lewis, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Loupassi, Marsden, Daniel Marshall, Bob Marshall, Massie, Merricks, Jackson Miller, Morgan, Nichols, Nixon, Nutter, O'Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Peace, Phillips, Pogge, Poindexter, Pollard, Putney, Saxman, Ed Scott, Sherwood, Shuler, Suit, Lee Ware, Wright, Mr. Speaker (Bill Howell) Delegate Gilbert carried the bill on the House Floor for Senator Hanger and did a superb job of it. He defended the bill from an onslaught of silly and even ridiculous questions from Delegates Moran (who voted WRONG) and Jim Scott (who, of course, voted WRONG). Delegate McClellan was particularly egregious, talking about the Wild West, showing her contempt for gun owners in each question. Clearly she has been watching way too much TV when she starts learning American history from old western movies. Delegate Morgan made a strong appeal for the bill pointing out that he has waited YEARS AND YEARS for this bill. Such a strong appeal from Delegate Morgan, who is normally pretty moderate, was taken quite seriously. Pro-gun Delegate Joannou, who is a Democrat, stood his ground while debating against others in his party who opposed the bill. Delegate Sickles disgracefully tried to add a restriction on consumption to open carry as well, but he withdrew his bill when the Speaker ruled that Sickles' amendment was not germane. Delegate Gilbert deserves some more credit here as the Speaker initially ruled incorrectly that the amendment was germane. Delegate Gilbert pointed out the obvious error to the Speaker and the Speaker changed his ruling. We are now 2/3 of the way. It is going to be up to the Governor. An Action Item will follow shortly in another alert. -- LOCKED CONTAINER Senator Vogel's locked container bill, which allows a loaded gun in a locked container or a locked compartment in a vehicle or boat, SB 436, passed by a veto-proof 69 to 29! This vote, too, was bipartisan and should send a strong message to Governor Kaine that a large portion of the House and Senate want this bill signed into law. VCDL thanks the following Delegates for supporting this important bill: Abbitt, Albo, Alexander, Armstrong, Athey, Barlow, Bell, Bouchard, Bowling, Byron, Carrico, Cline, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Dance, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Griffith, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hogan, Algie Howell, Hugo, Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Joannou, Johnson, Chris Jones, Kilgore, Landes, Lewis, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Loupassi, Daniel Marshall, Bob Marshall, Massie, May, Merricks, Jackson Miller, Morgan, Nichols, Nixon, Nutter, O'Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Peace, Phillips, Pogge, Poindexter, Pollard, Purkey, Putney, Saxman, Ed Scott, Sherwood, Shuler, Suit, Tata, Valentine, Lee Ware, Wright, Mr. Speaker (Bill Howell) The battle for this bill was a strong one, as well. The bill was carried on the Floor by Delegate Athey, who had an identical bill that was never heard in the House. Delegates Carrico and Jackson Miller deserve special thanks for effectively rebutting Delegate McClellan, who said that the bill would get police officers killed. Carrico, who is a retired Virginia State Police officer, and Miller, who is currently a police officer with the Prince William County PD, said that officers are trained to assume all vehicles contain a weapon and that SB 436 would not endanger the police. -- COLLEGE CARRY Delegate Bob Marshall, who wants to run for the U.S. Senate, made a valiant effort to amend the college and university appropriations bill with an amendment that would have allowed full-time professors with CHPs to be able to carry on campus. This came as a surprise to most on the Floor. A parliamentary battle ensued with him trying to make the amendment and others trying to block him. Delegate Marshall told the members on the Floor that he was trying to do this because his college carry bill was never even given the decency of a hearing in a House committee or subcommittee. He said he had two daughters in college and wanted to help protect them. I certainly sympathize with his anger at his bill not being heard. Delegate Gilbert's college carry bill and restaurant ban repeal and Delegate Cole's state agency preemption bills were given the same treatment. Fortunately for gun owners, Senator Hanger had his own restaurant ban repeal bill in the Senate and that saved the day. In the end, Delegate Marshall's amendment was not given a vote and the appropriations bill passed out without it. ------------------------------------------- ***************************************************************************