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The Loudoun County Public Safety Committee is going to meet tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27th) at 4 PM to consider items dealing with amending County ordinances dealing with firearms.  **Loudoun members are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak out.**  I am going to try to be there.

The Committee is considering several options - some of which are very bad.

Here are the options, which can be recommend either individually or as any subset:

1.  To change ordinance 684.01 to bring it into compliance with Virginia Code, which allows the County to regulation LOADED rifles and shotguns in vehicles.   The County CANNOT regulate loaded HANDGUNS in vehicles.  VCDL is NEUTRAL on this option.

2.  To change ordinance 1092.20 to bring it into compliance with Virginia Code, which allows the County to control firearms discharge (in this case around parks and recreation facilities), but not regulate the CARRY of firearms.  VCDL is NEUTRAL on this option.

3.  Not to change either of the ordinances.  This would mean that Loudoun County would have ordinances on the books that are preempted and VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES this option.  VCDL will consider taking legal action against the County after July 1st if this option is taken.

4.  To completely repeal ordinance 1092.20 (currently bans carry and discharge of guns in parks and recreational facilities) and let state law prevail.  VCDL SUPPORTS this idea.

5.  To lobby the General Assembly to give Loudoun an exception to the preemption laws so the County can ban guns at will within County Parks and Recreational facilities.  VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES this option.  The General Assembly won't be accepting of it, either, based on similar requests from Fairfax and Newport News.  The worst tyranny is often at the local level.

6.  To lobby the General Assembly to repeal the new law that lets VCDL and others get their legal fees back if they prevail in suing a locality over preempted gun laws.  VCDL STRONGLY OPPOSES this option.  The only reason the County would want to do this is if they plan on keeping preempted laws on the books to confuse citizens and to do so with impunity.

7.  To ban non-firearm weapons only.  This includes banning "concealed slingshots!"  VCDL OPPOSES this option.  By going this route, Loudoun County would show that it doesn't understand the proper position of local government in the machinery of freedom.  Banning one weapon or another does not make citizens safer.

The meeting is being held at 4 PM at:

Public Safety/Human Services Committee
Lovettsville Room
1 Harrison Street
Leesburg